Nite Tide
by xPaige Turnerx
Summary: AU. 'I didn't know how or why; but this pixie looking girl was different than everyone else. Even the people at this school, at that was saying something.' A/B R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I also don't own the House of Night series or anything of theirs. Those belong to Stephanie Meyer, P.C and Kirsten Cast.**

**Rated: T.**

**Author: Paige Turner.**

**Summary: AU. 'I didn't know how or why; but this pixie looking girl was different than everyone else. Even the people at **_**this**_** school, at that was saying something.' A/B R&R!**

**BELLA**

I hate running.

Just thought you should know that. Running and me? Yeah, we get along just about as well as cats and water. Or, really, as cats getting splashed with water. If you haven't guessed, I'd be the cat.

It's not like I was lazy or anything like that. On the contrary, I was a very active person. It was the fact of the matter that even _walking_ across a smooth surface, forty percent of the time I'd trip, either on my feet or nothing at all. So when you throw fast paced running into the equation; you get a disaster.

Now imagine, if you will, me running and not just over a smooth surface, but down the gravel path through the woods behind my house. And I suppose, it was _kind of_ comical, had you not been in my shoes. Had you been in the Tracker's shoes who was desperately trying to keep a straight face as he raced after me, barely out of breath, meanwhile I was just ahead of him; panting and sweating and almost crying.

However, this was not a laughing matter for me. I was running for my life. _This_ life that I was so content with. Essentially, I was trying to outrun _that_ life. The one everyone tried to avoid, tried to keep out of their own. No one, anyone I knew at least, wanted that life. To be swept off their feet and just thrown into a whole new reality basically.

Renee, my mom, never really worried that they'd come for me. I wasn't very special, not that she'd ever say that – but I knew, I was just plain and regular. I was a klutz and therefore couldn't do anything that would require skill. My grades were average to low, so I wasn't very smart or anything. I couldn't act for crap, nor could I sing. I suppose I was decent at cooking, but it's not like that fit their criteria.

No one really knew their criteria though. That was the problem. No one knew why you were Marked. You just were. It just happened. You couldn't prevent it.

Yet here I was, trying to run from it. That was me though; act first and think later.

While I was too busy looking over my shoulder to see if I had lost the Tracker, yeah right, I failed to notice that I had veered off the path. Only when I turned back around did I realize I was about to run into a tree. Yes, a tree.

That's just as bad, if not worse, as running into a wall. Sucker freaking hurt.

Groaning and holding my face, I tried to blink the dizziness from my head. A shadow covered my face and when I opened my eyes again, I saw the Tracker standing above me with a small frown on his face. He had deep brown eyes that almost looked black, and a shag of brown hair that hung in his face, almost hiding his Mark and tattoos. A filled in sapphire crescent moon that had a 'N' 'E' 'S' 'W' around it like a compass.

Raising a shaky hand to try and push him away, I noticed it was bloody. Must have been from my nose, or maybe I smashed my glasses when I hit the tree and was cut. Either way, it made the Tracker look at it, licking his lips before he shook his head and his eyes bore back into mine. "Isabella Marie Swan, night has chosen thee; thy death shall be thy birth. Night calls to thee, hearken to Her sweet voice. Your destiny awaits you at the House of Night."

His voice was smooth, and felt like velvet. Well, if you could feel a voice. It was hard to concentrate on that though, as white hot pain exploded in my head and I fell unconscious.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I also don't own the House of Night series or anything of theirs. Those belong to Stephanie Meyer, P.C and Kirsten Cast.**

**Rated: T.**

**Author: Paige Turner.**

**Summary: AU. 'I didn't know how or why; but this pixie looking girl was different than everyone else. Even the people at **_**this**_** school, at that was saying something.' A/B R&R!**

**BELLA**

Something is off. Wrong. Different. _Something._

There was no cool breeze carrying the scent of the forest outside the house, running through my room from my window I constantly kept open. There was no Charlie knocking on my door to wake me up for school. There was no Renee downstairs attempting to make breakfast and already burning the toast. There was no homemade quilt from grandma covering me, nor was there any head indentation in my pillow.

There was a strange scent. Almost like a hospital but not quite. There was silence, too much silence for my house. There was a thin sheet covering me instead of any blankets, and there was a big, soft pillow that felt never before used. There was even the faint taste of blood in my mouth –

Holy damn, I remember.

The previous day's events came flooding back to me. Getting home from school, seeing the stranger in the living room, seeing his Mark, bolting back out the door, running to the forest (which was dumb of me), looking behind me as he chased me, running into that tree.

Groaning, I sat up straight in the bed, grabbing my nose reflexively. It wasn't sore or anything anymore, nor was my head. When I opened my eyes though, I jumped out of my skin, yelping a little bit. I was in some kind of… makeshift hospital? It looked like a hospital, except for the stone walls one might see if they went to a carnival and took a tour through the medieval castle. There were rows of beds, single beds with white sheets and a big white pillow, all down the back hall to my left. There were desks and drawers and cabinets and all kind of things holding medicine and such, plus things I had never seen before. Finally, there was only one door in the whole room at the front; big and tall and made of oak I'd say if I had to guess.

But that's not what had me jumping out of my skin.

The girl perched on the end of my bed watching me was.

She had exceptionally long hair, though to my knowledge everyone like her did, and it was white as white can be. Her skin was extremely pale, again; I knew this to be what they all looked like in that department, and she had small features. Very soft, giving her almost a child like appearance though she couldn't have been any younger than myself. Her hair was cascading down over her black hooded cape clad shoulders. Her eyes were an intense ice blue, not like the kind you'd see on regular people. She grinned at me, revealing elongated canines and I gulped, knowing exactly what she was. The outline of a crescent moon on her forehead was a dead giveaway.

She was a Vampyre.

"Hi." The girl said in a light voice, very soft and quiet.

Pushing myself to lean back against the metal frame of a headboard, I glanced around the room, looking for an escape. "H-Hello." I replied, my voice cracking.

"I'm Eve." She chimed.

"Bella." I once again replied.

She nodded and clapped her pale hands together. "Well, I guess I should start explaining everything to you. That's what I was sent here for, being a Dark Daughter and all." She said, gesturing down at the black hooded cape/cloak thing.

Cocking my head to the side, unable to fight off the curiosity, I questioned her. "A what?"

"Dark Daughter." She answered, smiling. "It's kind of like what your old school might have had; a student council. We've just got a little more power than the rest of the student body around here. We do a little more in this community." She waved it off. "You'll see though, since you're joining."

"I beg your pardon?" I asked, shaking my head.

Eve nodded. "Well yeah, Rosalie will probably definitely want you to join since you've got an affinity. Everyone, well not _everyone_ – some kids don't want to join for whatever reason," She looked around, leaning in closer to whisper. "'Cause of Rosalie. She isn't exactly the nicest to everyone. But most of the Dark Daughters and Sons, 'cause we do have some boys in there but it's still called Dark Daughters on account of the fact that it used to be just girls for the past couple hundred years." She paused again, scratching her cheek. "Now where was I? Oh! Right! Most fledglings with affinities join; Rosalie usually gets them one way or another. It's all a part of her image, since she runs the Dark Daughters." Eve cocked her head to the side. "Something wrong, Bella?" She asked.

All the colour had drained from my face as I sat there gaping at her. "I-I'm a… he actually Marked… I'm…"

Eve bit her lip. "Oh dear. You're one of _those_ people." She awkwardly slid down the bed towards me, patting my knee. "It's not so bad, Bella, really. I know humans make up stories, and have it seem like being Marked is the end of the world and all… it's not though. You'll love it, I know you will, once you see just what being a Vampyre is about and the life here at the school."

Placing my glasses, that I noticed were my spare ones with the bold black frames, down on the bed and rubbing my face, I sighed. "I don't _want_ to be one, Eve. No offence to you and all the others here, but I just _don't._" I said.

Eve was about to say something when the large oak door swung open. We both turned to look at the same time at who came in and I felt myself shrink back further into the bed. They weren't scary or anything like that, quite the opposite really, but they just gave off that sense of power. That sense of authority. She must have run things around here. I quickly put my glasses back on to get a better look since everything was fuzzy and unclear.

She wasn't much taller than me, and was fairly young to be running things, late twenties, early thirties. She had waist long caramel hair, pale skin, a heart shaped face, warm brown eyes, a kind smile, and a filled in Mark. The sapphire crescent moon on her forehead was completely filled in, which led me to believe she was a full grown vamp, with the tattoos that accompany it; intricate swirls framing her eyes and cheeks, all with little hearts on them in random spots.

"Hello, Isabella Swan." She said. Even her voice was warm and motherly.

"Hi." I squeaked.

"Eve." The woman inclined her head slightly.

Eve was on her feet, staring at the ground as she bowed from the waist with her right fist over her heart. "High Priestess." She murmured.

The woman smiled kindly nodding to the door. "I will send Bella out shortly, so that you can show her around." Eve nodded and left the room quietly to wait for me. My eyes shot back up to the woman. "How are you feeling?" She asked, looking genuinely concerned.

"Um. Good, I guess?" I said, but it came out sounding more like a question. I shook my head, trying to shake off the fear. "This is all a little… what I mean is, I didn't really want… not that anything is wrong with… I just…"

"You wouldn't have chosen this." The woman said. I nodded furiously. "I am sorry," Again, she seemed genuine in this. "But as you know, or will soon know, it's not our decision to be made. Everyone is Marked and chosen for a reason, sometimes people find that reason, and others don't. The fact of the matter here is that you _were_ chosen."

"So what you're saying is that I've just gotta make the best of a crap situation?" I deadpanned.

The woman tried to smother her smile. "I wouldn't have put it quite that way, but yes."

"Great." I muttered. "When do I get to see my parents again?" I asked.

"Parents come for an open House every last Sunday of the month. You may see them more if you wish though, Isabella. This isn't a prison and we won't keep you here against your will." She said, sitting down on the other end of the bed.

"So I can leave whenever I want and never return?" I asked.

The woman nodded again. "Yes, but I would advise against that."

"Why?"

She looked to her feet and back up again. "A fledgling cannot live long without the presence of an adult vamp."

"Why not?"

"You will learn that in Vampyre Sociology 101 if you choose to stay." She smiled.

Sighing again, I rolled my shoulders. I couldn't stay home because I would die, so I had to stay here. We _did_ get to see our family, and apparently we could leave whenever, so it's not like I couldn't visit Charlie and Renee. Eve had said something about a school, which meant I wouldn't be missing any of my studies. "What happens now?" I asked, looking back over to the woman.

She beamed. "Now you got get set up in your dorm room. Your roommate is actually Eve who's outside, so you can let her know. I'm sure she will be so excited to have you as a dorm roommate, and I thought it would be easier for you since she is the only one you know so far. The rest you will pick up in the next couple of days, and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask me; I'm your mentor and it's my job."

"My mentor _and_ the High Priestess, whatever that is?" I asked.

"It's like a headmaster. I'm in charge around here." She smiled, getting to her feet. "And you don't have to call me that all the time. You may call me Esme."

With that, she glided out of the room off to wherever it was that she was going to.

Which left me sitting there on the bed, contemplating everything she had just told me. Eve stuck her head into the room, looking at me curiously. "You ready?" She asked.

"Yeah." I sighed, getting to my feet. "Sure."

Eve led me all over the campus, pointing out the gymnasium, the dinning hall, the boys' dorm, the girls' dorm, different class buildings, the adult vamps' dorm like places, and we even walked the tall stone wall surrounding the entire grounds. She spent the entire time trying to fill me in on as much as she could; classes were backwards and at night here, cats were always running around because they chose their students, whatever that meant, there was _one_ dog who was a big, black old English Mastiff, named Bear who belonged to Rosalie's boyfriend; Emmett. She told me how I wouldn't be too affected by the sun, since I was still a fledgling like everyone else, but that adult vamps were irritated by it. She told me how it was important to stay fit and healthy, _really_ important.

"Why?" I had asked her.

She had looked a little nervous and hesitant at first. "Not everyone makes it through the Change. For some, their bodies reject it. You can never tell who will and won't, so it's important to stay healthy just as an extra precaution." Apparently though, even the healthiest of kids had not made it.

Then we finally made it to the dorm room, after passing by a bunch of kids who were off to their class, who all stopped to stare. Eve had the right side of the room, with posters up on her wall of various things. Her bed had a blanket that was probably from her human life, and her dresser was half full of school uniforms and half full of clothes to go out in public in.

"The uniform is pretty decent here. You can add and customize it even." She showed me the belt she always wore; the front buckle in the shape of a snowflake, all silver and shiny.

"Cool." I said absently, looking at all the bags and things piled on my bed. "What's that?"

"That?" She asked, looking to where I was. "Oh! That's your things, silly. Esme," She wasn't afraid of saying her name now that she wasn't around to hear. "Goes out to your house when you're Marked and talks with your parents, letting them know what's happened and explains everything to them. Then she brings back some of your stuff for your room here with her."

It wasn't much, and I had a feeling that if I wanted more; I'd have to make a trip home and get it myself. Some clothes, pyjamas, tooth brush, hair brush, bed sheets, blankets, pillows, pictures, books, rings, necklaces, just small little things like that. I quickly set it all up, blinking back tears when I set up the pictures on the desk beside my bed.

"Lunch starts soon, so you might want to change into something that won't make you stick out so much." Eve said, grabbing a towel from her wardrobe, and a few things. "I'm going to hop in the shower down the hall real quick though." I nodded and she skipped off, smiling cheerily.

Staring at my wardrobe and the uniforms hanging in it, I tried to figure out what wouldn't make me stick out. Back at school, everything here would. It was all black. In the end, I just ended up grabbing some black slacks and a black blouse with some sort of insignia that I'd have to ask Eve about. It was a silver embroidered swirl. I was curious to what it meant, if there was anything behind it which I was sure there was, since everything around here was all… you know.

So as I was closing the wardrobe doors, I noticed the mirror on the inside of one, my eyes catching a glimpse of myself. I froze, blinking a few times before slowly opening it back up. My eyes widened as I took in the sight before me, trying desperately to not scream.

My hair was a little longer than before, but much darker. A very dark brown, with natural looking red highlights hidden in some places. My pale skin looked nearly white now, and I suddenly felt kind of like a porcelain doll. My eyes… my chocolate brown eyes were… not chocolate brown anymore. Nope, now they were a freaking deep crimson, going quite well with my blood red lips. The sapphire outline of a crescent moon even seemed dull and blended into the background compared to my eyes. Honestly. I knew there would be some differences… but damn. I was too scared to see if anything else had changed and slammed the wardrobe closed.

A red school tie fell out and to the ground and I grudgingly picked it up, crumpling up all the clothes into a ball and hurling them at the wall over my bed. There was no way I could visit my family now. I had those damn vampire cliche red eyes. This was ridiculous. Ridiculous and stupid. And unfair. Ridiculous, stupid, unfair, and dumb.

"You alright?" Eve asked, closing the dorm room door behind her as she snuck back in.

I nearly jumped out of my skin for a second time today as I looked at her. "Look at me! No, I'm not okay! I have red eyes and I'm white and the moon and hair and clothes and everything! It's all different!" I said, almost bawling at the end as I sunk to the bed, holding my face in my hands. "Great, and I'm crying. This day couldn't get any worse." I muttered, sniffling.

Eve was sitting on my side a second later, wrapping her arm around my shoulders. "Ah, come on now. It'll be okay. You'll get used to the eyes and the moon. All the differences, they won't seem so different after a while.

"But I'm already going to be new and now I'm going to be new and a freak with weird eyes!"

Eve cocked her head to the side. "Well that's silly thinking. People are going to be jealous of you."

"Oh don't give me that mother speech; 'they're just jealous of you' crap." I snapped, crossing my arms.

Eve snorted, getting up to lace up her shoes which I noticed were black chucks. "I wasn't. Seriously, your eyes match your affinity. Well, I think. For me, Rosalie, Cole, and Raven they do. I didn't always have these funky blue eyes you know. Same with the hair. I had blonde hair and brown eyes."

"What are you talking about? I'm new to all this, I can't follow along too well." I said, looking up at her.

She sighed, looking at me like I was lazy. I was, but she didn't know that for sure, so I didn't appreciate the look. "We think, and by we I mean Esme, Rosalie, and myself, that you are the missing element to our circle." I raised my eyebrow. "It'll be easier to show you later on, but for now all you need to know is that there's a circle. A circle of the five elements for casting and such. There's Earth, which is Rosalie, Water, that's me - and it's real cool because water is like snow and ice and stuff, so this one time, after we found out that I could do things like that, Emmet; Rosalie's boyfriend, dared me to turn his dorm room into a giant snow globe - right, my point, uh, Air and that's Cole, Spirit which is Raven, and then we were always missing Fire which is, we think, you." She said.

"Oh." I said absently. I was so lost and confused it wasn't even funny.

Eve waved it off, grabbing my clothes from the bed and dumping them in my lap. "Don't worry; I'll help you along the way. For now, you just need to get dressed so we can eat 'cause I'm hungry. Oh! And this here is the Fledgling Handbook; you're going to want to keep that on you for a while to look in for information and stuff." She said, handing me a book. She then went and sat on her bed to finish tying up her shoes. I got to my feet, looking around the room with the clothes in my hand and blushed when I realized that this was just one room. "I won't look, I swear, but if you want - there's a bathroom and shower room down at the end of the hall."

Risk running into people in the hall?

No thanks.

"Just… just, uh, turn around." I said, blushing like crazy.

Eve rolled her eyes, but still turned around and sat indian style on her bed. "So where are you originally from, Bella?" She asked.

Biting my lip as I struggled not to fall while I pulled on the pants, I replied. "Forks, Washington."

"Just the next state over? That's cool; you'll get to see your friends and folks a lot." She chimed.

"What about you?" I asked, buttoning up the black blouse.

There was a pause and I looked over my shoulder to see Eve looking at her hands in her lap. "Canada."

"Why'd you come to a House way down here then?" I asked curiously, starting on my tie.

Eve cleared her throat. "Oh, uh, well my parents didn't take me being Marked and all too well. They sent me here so that no one we knew would find out. Everyone thinks I'm on some academic program that requires me to move all around the world a lot."

"I'm sorry." I muttered, looking down to the ground. What do you say to that? I really wished I hadn't asked; now I felt like an ass for bringing it up.

"Can I see?" She asked, going to turn around.

"Yeah, I'm finished." I said and she looked at me, nodding her approval.

She got to her feet, grinning at me, though I could still see the sadness in her unique blue eyes. "Good. Now let's go eat and introduce you to Rosalie."

With that, she grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the room and down the hall to the stairs that would lead to the living room like room on the ground floor. There were sofas and chairs, lazy boys and bean bags, coffee tables and such, all angled towards different TVs scattered about the room. At one corner of said room there was a door that lead to a little kitchen with a fridge, cupboards, and a dishwasher. Eve told me that everyone ate breakfast in the dorms, though lunch and supper were served in the dinning hall. When we got down there, a few girls were all sitting about the room, watching TV or just chatting to one another. A couple looked our way, raising eyebrows, but we were out of there before anyone could say anything.

Eve skipped down the sidewalk beside me. And since everything was backwards around here, people sleeping during the day and such, it was dark out because it was the wee hours of the morning. The sidewalks were lit by lanterns hanging on light posts, which I thought was kind of cool. I seriously felt like I was taking a walk backwards in time. Especially because all the buildings around here had a castle air about them it felt like. Maybe staying here wouldn't be so bad. I mean, I had Eve who seemed nice enough so far, the buildings were cool, everything around here was unique. Maybe it wouldn't suck so much.

"This is the dinning hall." Eve said, gesturing up at the tall building in front of us. She pushed open the large oak door, closing it again once I was inside.

There were round tables scattered about the room, along with long rectangle ones, and even some booths with blood red cushions. There was a buffet looking station up against one of the walls where students were lined up to take what they wanted. The room was long and tall, and lit by candles on the walls and hanging down from the roof on chandeliers. The floor was tiled, but I think might possibly been made of marble. It looked like it, and if that was the case, than these guys who ran the places had to be freaking rich. Vampyres were though, since they were… more talented than humans. They were better artists, musicians, dancers, everything they did was better. That was part of the reason why society had outcasted them, I think. People couldn't stand them being better than us…er, them, I should say now.

"Come on." Eve whispered, pulling on my sleeve. It was then that I noticed people glancing our way, and looked to my feet as I followed her over to the buffet. "Take as much as you want; I'd imagine that you're pretty hungry. You were sleeping for a couple hours there."

There were salads, fruits, vegetables, pastas, juices, water. All kinds of things, but I noticed that they were all extremely healthy. I cleaned my glasses on my sleeve quickly before placing a salad, juice, and small bowl of grapes on my tray. Eve had something similar and smiled at me, nodding across the room to the opposite wall over by the booths.

We walked through the maze of tables, stopping abruptly. I looked up to see Eve smiling kind of nervously. "Hello, Alice."

"Hey Eve." A high, wind chime sounding voice chimed back.

When I looked at her, I almost dropped my tray, but managed not to. That would have been embarrassing. She was shorter than me, and even shorter than Eve, with short ink black hair that was spiked out in every direction in perfect chaos. Her pale skin was a great contrast to the hair and the thick black lashes surrounding shocking golden eyes. They were captivating. They were golden, but around the pupils, all the way to the edge of the iris, were honey coloured rings spaced out randomly. I pried my eyes from them, looking to the sapphire blue outline of the crescent moon that was also on her own forehead, her small button nose, and the pink lips that were pulled up in a smile. It was a sly smile though.

That's when I noticed the two boys with her. One was taller than the other, with blonde/wheat coloured hair that was curly/wavy. He had dark brown eyes that were regarding me curiously. The same outline of the moon. Scars running up and down his neck and on his hands, and down through his left eyebrow. I briefly wondered what happened to him before looking to the slightly shorter boy.

He had unruly bronze hair atop his head. His eyes were an emerald green blinking at me as he too regarded me. His features were sharp and chiseled and I had a feeling that a lot of girls swooned over this guy. Not me though; it'd take more than looks to get me to swoon. Hell, I wasn't even sure if I _could_ swoon. His lips pulled up into an amused smile and I narrowed my eyes. He too had the outline of the moon on his forehead.

All of them were wearing some variation of the school uniform, the emblems on their blouses were various though.

"Who is this here with you?" The girl, Alice, asked. She looked me over and I fought back a blush.

Eve looked to me and then Alice. "This is Bella. She's new. Just Marked a couple hours ago. I was taking her over to Rosalie-"

"Because you think she's the missing link in your circle, right?" Alice asked, almost scoffing.

Eve looked down to her feet and then back up. "Yeah." She muttered.

Alice looked to Eve and frowned, patting her shoulder. "Sorry, Eve. That was rude of me; I was trying to save it for Rosalie."

Eve smiled and looked to the booths again. "Speaking of which, we should get going before she gets impatient."

Alice nodded. "See you later, Eve. It was nice meeting you, Bella." She said, sticking out her hand.

Hesitantly, I took it. "You too." I mumbled.

Her golden eyes widened slightly. "Huh. Maybe your speculations are correct." She said, looking down at our hands before flashing me a smile. "I hope so. Esme certainly has been looking for you for quite some time."

Before I could ask what she was talking about, she was dancing away with the boys following her.

"What was that about?" I asked as we started to the booths once more.

Eve shrugged her shoulders. "Alice and Rosalie don't get along. Rosalie doesn't like her because Alice turned down the invitation to the Dark Daughters that Rosalie gave her. Alice doesn't like Rosalie because, um, she isn't the nicest person around, which is why she turned down the invitation. It's just escalated from there over the years. Right now, Rosalie is trying to think of a way to get back at Alice for convincing Edward and Jasper, the boys you saw with Alice, to not join as Dark Sons."

"Oh." School Politics. Yeesh. "Why'd Rosalie want them to join anyways, do they have, er, affinities?"

Eve nodded. "Yup. Alice has visions of the future. They're based on present decisions." Whoa, that's cool. "Jasper, the blonde boy, has an affinity for emotions. He can feel and manipulate others' emotions. And Edward, the other boy, can hear your thoughts." Jeeze! This was all so crazy!

The four or five booths along this wall were full of kids, all wearing the hooded cape/cloak that Eve was. I only noticed then that on the back of them, were black lace letters. D.D for the girls, and D.S for the boys. The centre booth was crowded with a few kids, and the girl sitting in the middle of the booth, who I assumed was Rosalie, was exceptionally beautiful. She had long flowing blonde hair. Her eyes were a unique green, not the kind you'd see on people back in Forks or anything. The green was more vibrant, darker, bolder. She had the outline of a crescent moon, in sapphire as well, and I could already tell, even if she was sitting down, that she was probably taller than myself.

"Hello Rosalie." Eve said, again smiling nervously. This girl was certainly nervous around a lot of people.

"Eve." Rosalie greeted, offering half a smile. "This is Bella?" She asked, her green eyes scrutinizing me. I tried to not fidget.

"Yup, this is her. Look at her eyes! We were right!" Eve said, all giddy again.

Rosalie pursed her lips. "So it appears." She got to her feet, her back cloak hanging down her back, nearly touching the ground. The only difference from her and everyone else in the Dark Daughters, that I could see, was that she was also wearing a necklace. It was long and silver, with two D's hanging on it, with a small crescent moon in each D. "Well then, Bella. I formally invite you to join the Dark Daughters." She said, sticking out her hand as well.

I glanced at Eve who nodded with a smile, and then out at the room, seeing most of the others glancing at us again, waiting for my answer. I looked back up at Rosalie and nodded. "I accept." I said, reaching for her hand.

Her hand passed mine, gripping my forearm and I gripped hers by reflex, and she shook them. Weird. "Welcome." She said, looking behind her.

A large mountain of a boy stood up. He had short black hair that was slicked back, though had a few rebellious curls in it, pale skin, regular blue eyes not like Eve's in the slightest, and muscles that would have made me think he took steroids if it weren't for the fact that I knew Vampyres didn't need them to look like this. His arms reminded me of tree trunks by how big they were, and his abs and such couldn't be hidden behind his school button up. He handed Rosalie a black hooded cape like his own, with a big goofy smile that gave him dimples and made him seem friendly.

And when I looked at Rosalie, I was shocked to see a warm look enter her eyes as she smiled softly at him. That must mean this was Emmett.

Rosalie turned back to me, handing me the cape. "Eve will explain everything being in the Dark Daughters entail, I'm sure." She said, before sitting back down beside Emmett.

Eve smiled up at me and nodded. "Sure, I can do that." She bit her lip. "Uh, I guess the only ones you need to know by name right now are the rest of the circle. You've met me and Rosalie, that's Cole," She pointed to a boy who was also sitting at the middle booth with Rosalie and I gathered that was the popular table, within the popular tables. Where all the major players, as it was, sat. He had black hair that was fairly short but long enough to fall into his eyes and had to be shook out of them regularly. It kind of covered up his crescent moon, only letting you catch glimpses of it. His eyes were different, and I figured everyone with an affinity must have had eyes like that, or at the very least, everyone in the 'circle'. They were an odd grey, which matched his element; Air. He had to have been older than me and Eve though, because he had stubble, thick enough to be considered a beard, on his chin all the way up to his sideburns, covering his jaw too. He had to at least be close to twenty.

"And that's Raven." Eve said. This girl was also at the centre table, unsurprisingly. Her long dark hair reached to her waist, so dark it looked black. Her eyes that were looking up at me warmly, were a surprising purple that kind of looked violet. Was that the colour for Spirit? I guess so. Her features were sharp; high cheek bones, slender frame and such, and normally what I'd associate that to someone bitchy, but she seemed genuinely nice, offering me a big smile, revealing pearly whites, and elongated canines.

"It's nice to finally have you here. I can't wait for the next full moon ritual." Raven said in a soft voice.

"Full moon ritual?" I asked, looking to Eve.

She waved it off. "I'll tell you later, don't worry."

"Have a seat, Bella. You look like you're about to collapse. This all can be a little over whelming, I know." Cole said, looking to Rosalie.

Rosalie met a couple eyes around the table and nodded to the other tables beside her. A few people got up with their tray and went to sit somewhere else. "You didn't have to do that. I wouldn't have minded finding somewhere else-"

"Nonsense. You sit here with the rest of us." Rosalie cut in, pointedly looking at the free space on the booth.

Eve sat down quickly, scooting over next to Emmett who was on one side of Rosalie with Raven on the other, and then Cole. I sat down beside Eve as she started munching on her supper. "So, how are you handling yourself here, Bella?" Emmett asked in a booming voice that suited him well. "Thrown up yet?"

"Emmett." Rosalie said, swatting his arm.

"What?" He shrugged. "Lot's of kids do. I was just asking is all."

"Oh, well, no." I murmured. "I haven't…thrown up."

Emmett nodded. "That's good. You gotta be strong to survive here."

"Have you set up your schedule yet?" Raven asked. I shook my head. "Do you like to sing or play instruments?"

"I used to take piano lessons, but I'm not very good." I replied, blushing again.

She smiled. "Do you like drawing?" I nodded. "Great! You should take that as your option and I'll request you to be put into class with me since you're new and all. It'll be fun; none of these guys can draw for crap." She snickered.

"Hey! I can… I just _choose_ not to. It's not very masculine." Cole replied, sticking his chin in the air.

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "You've got a beard for craps sake, Cole. No one is going to mistake you for being gay again." She looked over to me. "_One_ time, one time I asked if he was gay, and he's never let it go since."

"Well I don't understand how you thought I was!" He said, looking over himself. "Do I give off the vibe?"

Rosalie sighed. "For the thousandth time; no! You turned down my offers, wouldn't flirt even a little with me, and you were very…"

Cole scoffed. "Because I wasn't beating on my chest and ravaging you, you thought I was gay?"

"Well you were being all polite, and you're very tidy and fashionable." She flashed him a smile. "As it is, it's a good thing you turned me down, because Emmett was Marked the next week."

"So you don't draw because you're afraid of looking gay?" I asked, trying to get this straight. Raven snorted.

Cole sighed. "No, I'm not _afraid_ of looking gay. There's nothing wrong with it and I've got no problem with people who are. It's just hard to try and win girls over when they think you bat for the same team." This time I was the one snickering.

Emmett cocked his head to the side and then looked down at his watch, grinning. "Ha, I'm getting better. The bell is about to ring, guys." He said.

Eve placed her hand on my arm, nodding to my tray. "You can take that back to the dorm if you want. None of the teachers will expect you at class since it's your first day still. Once you're done eating though, I suggest you find Esme and work out your schedule." She said as we all got to our feet.

Nodding, I waved to them as they all left and everyone else in the dinning room started gathering their things up.

Okay, eat, find Esme, make a schedule. Classes started tomorrow for me. Busy, busy, busy.

Hopefully I'd find my groove here, and soon too.

**XXxXXxXX**

**¬.¬ I can't stop! I just, I need to post my stories and I can't not write them when they come to mind!**

**I'm still trying to put my main focus on the others I've got going right now though, so don't worry.**

**Review please, please, please. ^^**

**-Paige.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I also don't own the House of Night series or anything of theirs. Those belong to Stephanie Meyer, P.C and Kirsten Cast.**

**Rated: T.**

**Author: Paige Turner.**

**Summary: AU. 'I didn't know how or why; but this pixie looking girl was different than everyone else. Even the people at **_**this**_** school, at that was saying something.' A/B R&R!**

**BELLA**

"Bleh." I groaned, rolling onto my other side away from Eve.

She sighed, shaking my shoulder again. "Bella, wake up, seriously. You want to take a shower for your first day of classes, don't you? You need to get up." She said, bouncing my bed.

Glaring through one eye while I kept the other shut, I looked to my alarm clock on the bed side table of mine. "It's eight pm, Eve. I _just_ fell asleep not two hours ago. _Please_ let me sleep in longer." I begged, pulling the blankets up over my shoulder again. It was December and all, but especially cold it seemed. Certainly a lot colder than Forks ever got.

Eve sat down on the side of the bed, looking at my alarm clock. "Yeah, and classes are in half an hour. You've had your extra rest; this is the second time I've come to wake you up. You need to start getting used to the schedule around here." I mumbled some unintelligent remark and stayed burrowed under the covers. "Besides," I could hear the grin in her voice. She must have thought she would actually win this. "I stayed up late last night, running around town to go and pick up your uniform order and everything. Can't you imagine how tired _I_ am?"

Guilt.

She was a sly room mate, I'd give her that.

"Fine." I huffed, throwing back the blankets to sit up and glare at her. "You're lucky you're you, Eve, or so help me." I threatened.

"What, you'd whine me to death?" She smirked, hopping off the bed to skip over to her side of the room.

Gasping in mock hurt, I placed my hand over my heart. "That's hurts, Eve, it really hurts." She just giggled at me, gathering up all her books.

Eve had raced right over back to the dorm room once she was out of class to see how I was doing. We spent most of the night, er, morning, up here talking and getting to know one another. She was a nice girl, could use a little more of a backbone, but nice and genuine. The kind of person everyone would like to be, but no one puts in the effort of _trying_ to be. My point was, that so far she was my only friend here, and I was fine with that. We got along great, and I was glad that _she_ was the one who was there when I first woke up, and _she_ was my room mate. I don't think I would have made it two seconds if it were Rosalie.

"Okay, but you need to hurry up! I still want to eat breakfast before we leave!" Eve said, pulling me out of bed.

"Alright, alright." I huffed, flashing her a smile as I grabbed a towel and headed down the hall to the showers. A few girls nodded or offered a smile as I passed while other didn't register my existence or just stared at my eyes, but so far no one was going out of their way to make me uncomfortable or anything, which was good. Back in Forks, I wasn't the most popular girl, and people found it fun to mess with me. It was all innocent stuff, but still. I'd leap at any excuse to stay home.

The showers were fairly private. Stalls and curtains to pull over to close them off, all in a long row. The bathrooms were too; stalls, and two long counters that lined two of the walls with sinks and mirrors spaced out on them.

Eve was sitting on her bed with a pen in her mouth and a notebook on her lap when I came back into the room. "What are you doing?" I asked.

She shrugged her shoulders, turning to face the wall opposite of the door and by the headboards of our beds. I opened the wardrobe at the foot of my bed against the wall and searched through it for my clothes. Eve _had_ gone out to pick up my order for me, my 'personalized' uniform articles of clothing. They were basically red blouses with the school and grade level emblem on them. Red school ties either plain, striped with black, or my initials on the end of them. School sweater vests because the school sweaters looked weird on me and it was colder out here, with the emblems. Black slacks with red pinstripes. Red converse and black converse. Black dress shoes for fancier occasions. School blazers.

"Just finishing up some homework." She chirped.

I pulled on a pair of black slacks and red converse. "For what class?"

"Fencing." She replied.

"Fencing?" I asked, baffled as I tucked in the red school blouse.

Eve glanced over her shoulder, seeing I was decent and started packing up her things and tying her shoes. She wore all black; pants, shoes, shirt, and blazer, and the Dark Daughters cloak. The only colour was her blue tie and her belt buckle of the snow flake. "Yeah. We don't have just regular gym classes here. We do all kinds of things, and train in case of…" She trailed off.

"In case off…?" I prodded, slipping on some black suspenders, and then tied the Dark Daughters cloak around my neck.

She shook her head, skipping over to toss my dirty clothes in the laundry hamper. "Just a little self defence class here and there, is all." I raised an eyebrow but she just smiled. "It's pretty fun though, because there's also Tae Kwon Doe and Archery and all kinds of things." She gushed.

One of the things I found out last night about Eve was that she really, _really_ loved it here. I suspected it was because she was accepted and had friends and people who cared about her here. Obviously things weren't _quite_ like that at her old home. Her parents shipped her all the way to another country for crying out loud.

"It does sound fun." I nodded, grabbing my books and headed out of the dorm room with Eve. She skipped down the hall and I cocked my head to the side before following her. "Aren't you going to lock the door?" I asked.

Eve giggled, looking at me funny. "Of course not, silly. No one is going to break into our room. To steal what? Our towels?" She giggled again. "Besides, even if they did; Esme would know and there would be consequences."

My brows furrowed. "How would she know?"

Eve shrugged her shoulders, sliding down the railing of the stairs. "She just would. She knows a lot about what goes on around here. Things you wouldn't think she would. But then again, this is _her_ House. It's all tied up and entwined with her; so I suppose there's not much that happens around here she wouldn't be aware of."

"That's kind of freaky, when you think about it." I muttered, following her to the kitchen. She knows just about _everything_ that goes on around here? What ever happened to privacy? And how would she know, in the first place?

Again, Eve shrugged. "It is what it is. Besides, who would you rather have knowing all of it; Esme or some stuck up grumpy principle?"

"Good point." I agreed.

We both grabbed a bowl of cereal and plopped down in front of a TV with a couple of other girls. The weather channel was on, talking about expecting some snow tonight, and a lot of it. A few girls groaned while others seemed excited, though none were quite as excited as Eve who started bouncing on her cushion. "Great! I can't wait to show you what I can do with my affinity!"

There was a louder groan. "No, please, Eve. Just… just leave the snow alone. This is enough, we don't need more." She said, running a hand through her long strawberry blonde hair.

Eve grinned, turning to me. "Last year, it was a little shock when we got twice as much snow as the weather man predicted."

The girl sighed, getting to her feet. "And we don't need a repeat. The humans around here are already growing suspicious and more edgy about us lately."

"There's no need to give them more crap to use." Another blonde said. Her hair was much more pale, but I noticed that the two girls had identical bright green eyes, and the same physique. They must have been sisters. That was nice; it wasn't common for siblings to be Marked together like that. It must have made it much easier to cope with having your life turned upside down and having to live here. At least you still have _some_ family with you.

"That's Tanya and Kate Denali." Eve whispered to me. She had been whispering me names of everyone we passed so that I could get a little more familiar with everyone around here.

"Pleasure to meet you." Kate said, sticking out her hand for me to shake. Tanya nodded with a smile.

"Yeah, you too." I muttered, shaking her hand.

A pale blonde eyebrow rose. "Huh. Well I'll be; you _must_ be the Fire element." She turned to Tanya. "She's awfully warm to the touch."

What? Here I thought Eve was just real cold. "Just like Eve. You two seem to be polar opposites. Odd that you'd get along so well." Tanya said.

"Well we've got to be heading to class." Eve said, getting to her feet and grabbing my bowl. "You go on ahead, Bella, and I'll put these in the dishwasher."

With a shrug and a wave to the sisters, I headed out the door and down the sidewalk. I really enjoyed being outside. The inside of every building was beautiful, don't get me wrong, it's just that the outside was a little more. I guess it was the candle light, just giving it that much more of a mystical feeling. The night sky and the stars shinning bright, the moon lighting up the school yards and court yard. The trees dancing in the breeze. The leaves being blown around. And I didn't care what those girls said, even if I was warm to the touch, I still felt cold to the bone. I pulled the hood up over my head and hugged my notebooks and fledgling hand book to my chest while I watched my feet as I walked down the sidewalk.

A group of kids were coming against me and I stepped to the side to let them pass, continuing down the sidewalk afterwards. The smell of horses had me looking back up to see that I had followed the wrong sidewalk all the way down to the Equestrian section of the school grounds. It had the pens and stables with the horses in them and everything. It kind of reminded me of when I used to go with Charlie down to the reservation. They had Equestrian places all over. I used to have real fun down there with Jacob. Standing here, thinking back to that, it made me home sick. Made me want to call Renee and see how everyone down in Forks was doing.

Instead, I had to settle for roaming the stalls, looking at all the horses. One caught my attention in particular. He was all white, completely, except for the spot on his side, with bright blue eyes. He actually kind of reminded me of Eve. I smiled and patted him, about to start talking to him -I was really bad for doing that; talking to animals like they could understand me- when a voice made me jump.

"The Dark Daughters' sacrificial lamb stable is the next one over."

I gaped at Alice, horrified. "Wh-wh…" I knew Rosalie was mean and kind of scary…really scary. But she wouldn't do that… would she? … She _was_ a vampyre, a cranky, scary vampyre...

She snorted. "I'm joking." She laughed and I calmed down some. "Rosalie doesn't use lambs, she uses new recruits." My eyes widened. She flashed another smile. "Kidding, again… Only the ones no one will miss."

She stared back at me unblinking until my jaw dropped. Was she serious? "What!"

Alice grabbed her stomach as she laughed. "You're too easy!" She sighed, wiping an imaginary tear away. "The blood is too much of a mess; she get's Emmett to do it for her."

"Stop!" I cried, biting my lip. "You're joking… Right?"

She nodded. "Okay, I'm done. Honest." She strolled over, running her hand along the horse's back. Her bright golden eyes shone in the dark, along with her golden belt buckle that looked more expensive that my entire side of the dorm room. Obviously this cold wasn't effecting her like it was me, because she also wore a short black skirt -since when does anyone wear big belts with a skirt?- tall black high heeled boots, and a white school blouse with the top buttons undone dangerously low. I gulped and looked away, fiddling with my glasses. "So what are you doing down here anyways… um, Bella, right?"

Nodding furiously, I stepped back from the horse. "Embarrassing as it is; I got lost." I said, smiling sheepishly.

Alice raised an eyebrow. "What class do you have?"

I thought back to my schedule. "Uh, V-Vampyre Sociology."

Alice pursed her lips, walking over to me. "Don't let Rosalie hear you stutter on that word; she'll rip you a new one. It offends her or something." I nodded again. She flashed me a smile then, looking back to the horse. "Do you like them?"

"Horses? Yes. Do you?" I asked.

She nodded. "Adam here is my favourite."

"Adam?"

She smirked. "Eve and I named him during our first year here. We were paired up for Equestrians Class." She chimed. I nodded, patting the horse. It got quiet and I was too scared to look up, fearing that I'd make even more of a fool of myself, so I just stared at Adam. He huffed, swishing his tail and I smiled. "So how are you liking being a Dark Daughter?" Alice asked, breaking the silence.

She was staring at me when I looked over and I quickly looked back away. "Since it hasn't even been twenty four hours, and I've done _nothing_ as a Dark Daughter; I'll have to get back to you on that one." I said, smirking. She grinned and nodded. "How are you liking _not_ being a Dark Daughter?"

"Loving it." She retorted, still grinning. "I assume Eve told you why I didn't join." I nodded. "And why Rosalie wanted me to?" Again, I nodded. "People usually have _something_ to say to that; so let's hear it."

Shrugging my shoulders, I glanced at her golden irises. "I like the way they make your eyes look."

Alice furrowed her brows when I said nothing more. "That's it? You're not going to ask me to look into your future or call me a freak for being able to?" She asked, genuinely confused.

I gave her a look. "No, because for one thing, I like surprises, and for another, that'd be the pot calling the kettle black, don't you think?"

Alice's smirk was back. "Ah, so it's not because you're just a kind soul? You just don't want to be a hypocrite."

Nodding, I flashed a smile. "Wrong roommate; if you're looking for a kind soul, you should go find Eve." Alice giggled.

"Thought I heard voices back here." A booming voice said from around the corner of one of the stables. Before he even stepped around, though, I knew who it was. You don't forget a booming voice like that. Emmett, clad in black and a green school tie with the Dark Son's cloak, walked over to us with a big grin on his face. "Fraternizing with the enemy, are we?" He winked at me.

Furiously shaking my head, I stumbled out an answer. "No! I… well, I mean yes… but we were just talking. I… I wasn't doing anything that would go against… I don't _think_ I was, anyways."

"Calm down, Bella. Leave the poor girl alone, Emmett." Alice giggled, placing her hand on my shoulder to calm me down. "He's only joking."

"That's right." He grinned, slapping my back. The air whooshed out of me, but he didn't seem to notice. "Just yanking your chain, since you're new and all."

"What are _you_ doing here? Wouldn't Rosalie, um, kill you if she found out who you were talking to?" I asked, glancing up at him.

He gave a nod. "Probably, but Rosie is in English right now, so she doesn't need to know. Which means you don't need to tell her." He winked at me again and I nodded. "Personally, I find the whole feud ridiculous."

"Still, she's your girlfriend. Don't you think you should abide by her rules?" I said, fiddling with my books again.

Emmett shrugged with a pout. "But Tink here is fun to talk to. She's a little diabolical ball of evil."

"I told you not to call me that." Alice growled under her breath.

Emmett grinned at her, going to ruffle her hair, but she ducked out of the way, throwing a glare at him. He chuckled at her and then turned to me. "So now that we know what _I'm_ doing out here; what are _you_ doing?"

"Oh." I said, looking around. "I kind of followed the wrong sidewalk and got lost."

"And I was just about to take her to the class she's missing right now." Alice chimed.

Emmett frowned. "Your teacher is going to be mad. This isn't your first day anymore."

"Yeah, but I'm still new." I replied.

Emmett shrugged. "They're very strict around here. All about making us better people and stuff. Being on time is proper, and if you're not on time, then you're just rude and blah blah blah." He said.

Alice smiled reassuringly at me. "Don't worry, you've got Professor Cullen first. He's nice and will understand." I looked to Emmett who gave another nod.

"Yup. He's a cool guy. And seeing as his class is in a completely different building than Rosie's, I'll walk you there too." He said as the three of us began back down the sidewalks. "You never know what's lurking in the dark around here."

"Emmett, your attempt at frightening the girl is lame." Alice stated.

There was a huff, but I couldn't see those two anymore since the wind, I was assuming, blew out the lanterns on the poles along the sidewalk all the way up until the dining hall and passed it to the class buildings. "Nu uh! It's her second day; her eyes haven't adjusted like ours have yet. She probably can't see her hand in front of her face"

"_Really?"_ Alice asked, mischief colouring her voice.

It became silent then as their footsteps either stopped or they just started walking exceptionally quiet. "Har har, you two. Funny, real funny. I'll have you know that I stopped being afraid of the dark when I turned eight." They didn't answer and I swallowed audibly. "I'll also have you know that my reflexes are poor and people generally get hurt because of them." Still no answer, just the sound of the wind whistling through the trees. "Flailing limbs and all... Guys?"

Fine. If that's how they wanted to play it, then fine. I turned towards the class building off in the distance. I started towards them, marching with a determined air about me. They wouldn't scare me. I don't scare easily… _Very_ easily. It'd take more than silly little pranks to get me. More than –

"Bwah!" I screamed, jumping into the air as something grabbed me. I shielded my eyes as the lanterns from here all the way down to the dining hall burst into blame, burning brightly, and lit up Emmett and Alice's surprised faces. "What the hell!" I growled. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack or something?"

Emmett pointed up at the candles, looking confused. "Those were… and now they're…"

"And this horsing around will only make me even _more_ lately. Is that what you want? For me to get into trouble on my very first day?" I snapped.

"Was that _her_?" Alice asked Emmett incredulously. The two were looking at each other with wide eyes.

"And now you're not even listening to me. Great." I muttered, huffing to myself. I waved my hands in front of their faces until they blinked at looked at me with astonished faces. "Can you _please_ at least point in the right direction of the building so I can try to make it for most of the class?"

Alice furrowed her brow, looking frustrated like there was an answer to a complicated problem and she was the only one who couldn't get it. "You shouldn't be able to do _that_ yet. You were just marked _yesterday_!" She cried.

"Do what?" I sighed, looking behind me to where they were staring. I couldn't see anything but the lantern posts, the school yard, and very far off just black, where the fire's light couldn't reach. "I don't see anything." I huffed. I turned to Emmett. "Direction?"

"Building with a fountain out front." He muttered absently.

"Thank you." Those two were being weird. I _warned_ them that my reflexes weren't the best. And what on earth were they going on about? People here were confusing. Yeesh.

After searching the halls for endless minutes, I finally found my classroom and cracked the door open. The man who was talking stopped and everyone turned to look at me. I felt a blush crawl up my neck and to my cheeks. "Can I help you?" The man asked. He had blonde hair that was slicked back, caring grey eyes, and a kind smile.

Nodding, I looked down at my schedule quickly. "Yeah. I, uh, I've got this class right now." I said quietly.

Realization dawned the man's features as he nodded. "Ah, yes. You must be Isabella Swan, the new student." I nodded again. "Have a seat in the open spot next to Miss Weber. Angela, raise your hand please."

A hand rose up out of the sea of sitting students and I quickly made my way over to the chair and plopped down in it. The girl, Angela, seemed nice enough. She offered a shy smile, and had long brown hair that was very light. Her green eyes sparkled with amusement behind her own glasses. "Everyone's late for the first class of their first day." She whispered.

"That's right. However, let's not make a habit out of this, shall we? I'm Professor Cullen, and welcome to Vampyre Sociology 101, Isabella." Professor Cullen said, smiling at me before he began his lecture again.

**xxXxxXxx**

"I'm _so_ sorry, Bella!" Eve said after I finished my story of how I got to class. We were walking down the hall to the art room, which Eve decided to try this year now that was in there. She was hoping that I sucked as much as her though, 'cause she didn't want to be the only one looking washed out next to Raven who was apparently a very good artist. "I thought you found your way. I searched the sidewalk all the way down to the building for you, but you were nowhere in sight. I thought you were inside your classroom already."

"It's fine, Eve. I just thought I'd tell you of my little adventure. I didn't know there was an Equestrians Class." I replied. It was extremely hard to not start skipping down the hall with this cloak trailing behind my like it was. Eve looked like Little Red Riding hood, just without the colours and her hood down, and I totally felt the same way.

I know, I'm lame.

"Did you want to join that class?" Eve asked as we turned down another hall and passed a group of students.

Shrugging my shoulders, I pondered it but then quickly shook my head. "Gosh no; you know how much I would embarrass myself? I'd fall off the horse just trying to get on."

Eve giggled, shaking her head at me. "I can totally picture that."

"Tell me about it." I smirked, pushing open the doors of the art room.

Raven, all the way on the other side of the room wearing a bright yellow apron that was covered in paint, waved us over. Her Dark Daughters cloak, books, and blazer were all piled in the back corner of the room, and the table, where everyone else's stuff was on their own, had a huge mural looking thing on it. Most others were just sketching…

"Hey guys! Check it out; I convinced Professor Victoria to let us paint today!" Raven chimed.

The girl looked different today. What was it… oh, her hair. Today it had splashes of violet purple in it and was up in pig tails. I looked to Eve with a raised eyebrow. "Raven is very creative… even with everyday appearances." She mumbled.

"Well why not? I don't want to look boring." Raven huffed, and then smiled brightly. "Now come on, I want to finish this before the end of class."

Smiling and shaking my head, I pulled off the cloak and set my books down, tying a dark green, paint smeared, apron around my waist. "So what are we painting here?" I asked, rolling up the sleeves of my school blouse as I stood in front of the mural on the board on the table.

Raven skipped up to my side, beaming. "Well, my artistically challenged friend, we're doing a mural of us. Or rather, the circle. Rosalie wants it up in the rec hall for when we cast circles and such." She explained.

Raising an eyebrow at her, I put a hand on my hip. "Artistically challenged?"

She shrugged as Eve tied the apron around her waist as well and came to stand by us. "I took a peak at your books over there and I saw your writing."

My eyes narrowed and she gave me a look, making me sigh and nod. "Okay, what do we do first?" I mumbled, quickly cleaning my glasses while _I_ was still clean.

Raven clapped her hands together, rubbing them. "Alright, see this? I was thinking of doing panels so it's not just one giant piece. That would be incredibly hard to move around. Now, the background is going to be black, which is what you two will start painting today. I've outlined what's going on here though. Rosalie said she wanted each of us, in the cloak with the hoods up, holding out candles."

"Candles?" I asked.

Eve looked up at me. "We light them while casting the circle. It's like summoning our affinity to the circle. I'll show you at lunch with a small candle." I nodded.

Raven gave a nod as well. "Right. And Rosalie wants herself done first," Raven and Eve rolled their eyes to one another and I smirked. "So be extra careful to not mess up on her panel. Got it?"

Nodding, I looked over the blank panel. "I think so. How are we all going to work on it at the same time though?"

Raven faltered. Eve pointed to the other end. "We can start at the bottom and she can start at the top. When we're ready, we can all switch so we don't bump into each other."

Raven wrapped her arm around Eve's shoulders. "Little genius here. Now let's get to work!" She chimed, skipping off to the other end of the table.

And so we did. Eve and I went to get bowls full of black paint because we needed so much, and had to grab the really big paintbrushes. I glanced wearily down at the paint and looked to Eve, taking her advice and tied my hair up. I didn't fail to notice how much longer it was today than the previous day, and how much thicker as well. When I asked Eve, she told me that Vampyres' hair and nails grow twice as fast as humans. She said I'd learn more about it in Vampyre Sociology 101, or if I didn't want to wait, I could read ahead in the text book Professor Cullen assigned.

Raven was busy working away. She wore headphones, the music so loud I could hear it from across the table –though she _did_ have impeccable taste; Evanescence- and two little paintbrushes for finer details tucked behind her ear. She had an assortment of supplies laid out on the chair beside her as she worked. She honestly looked like a professional, and I wouldn't have doubted that her work would too.

Eve and I spoke and joked around while we painted the background, goofing off, and I found so far this was my favourite class. Not because I was good at it, because I really wasn't, but because I really liked these two. Eve sputtered looking at me with wide eyes as black paint smeared on her cheek from resting it in her hand.

She scowled and started to scrub at it with the paper towel I handed her while I bit my lip to keep from laughing. Raven looked up, glanced at Eve with a smirk, and then looked back down. Only to look back up. "Hey guys, leave a big space around the candle. I'll fill it in after I'm done the glow of the flame." She said.

We nodded and got back to work, painting and talking. Raven would put in a couple words here and there between songs, but didn't speak much. Eve told me it was because Raven actually found it really hard to 'let her creativity flow' when she didn't have music. I was warned to expect an iPod constantly in her ear, or to hear Raven humming, whistling, or even singing, quite often.

"You never cease to amaze me, Raven." A female voice said, though it clearly held authority like all the adult vamps around here had. I looked up to see the teacher, I presumed, standing beside the table and looking over the panel. She had long, wild red hair, sharp features and a feral smile that gave her a cat like aura, with intense, but not nearly as intense as Rosalie's, green eyes. The tattoos framing her cheeks and eyes were of all kinds of unique looking little designs, and I realized that her affinity, if she had one, must have had something to do with art. It would make sense; she _was_ an art teacher.

That was one of the things I learnt in my first class. People with affinities had tattoos that reflected them. If they didn't have an affinity, the tattoos would just reflect their personalities or different things about them. I thought that was pretty cool.

"Thank you." Raven beamed, only sparing the teacher a glance before she got back to work.

Deciding that I couldn't not look any long, I glanced up at the top half of the panel she was working on, gasping. "Raven…" I breathed my eyes wide. It looked… it looked so real. Like this was a picture almost, not a painting. The top half of Rosalie was done; the hood covering nearly all of her face, up until her mouth that was curved up in a sly smirk. Her long blonde hair flowing out the bottom of the hood, spilling down over the front of her shoulders. Her hand raised up, holding a green candle that's flame was glowing green(1). Even the necklace hanging around her neck was perfect. "That's amazing."

"Looks like you've got yourself a new fan of your art." Professor Victoria said, walking back off to look over other students' shoulders to see their work.

Raven grinned at me. "Thank _you_ too." She looked down at it and then back up. "Let's switch so we can quickly finish this off before the end of class."

Which was half an hour, I realized as I glanced at the clock.. Time flies in that room, it seemed.

**xxXxxXxx**

Doubled over, panting and dizzy, I decided to skip the cloak. I was cooking after that class. "You… you… bleh!" I gasped out, pointing an accusing finger at Jasper.

He chuckled, running a hand through his curly/wavy hair as he raised an eyebrow. "I warned you it wouldn't be easy climbing that rope." He laughed, the tinge of his southern drawl drawing attention. Jasper was a quiet guy, so whenever he spoke, most people would notice and be curious as to what he was saying.

"You said it wasn't as tall as it looks!" I growled.

"And?" He asked innocently.

"It wasn't! It was _taller_!" I fumed.

At first, after our little run in the day before in the dining hall, I thought having a class with Jasper would be weird. I had planned on avoiding him the entire time and then just sneaking out before him so we wouldn't have to cross paths. Unfortunately, or rather fortunately now looking back on it, we were paired up for the class. Everyone had a partner for gym to keep the other one motivated to keep going. Whether it be because they've got someone to talk to, play sports with, or challenge.

Jasper decided to go for challenging, and I was too stubborn for my own good.

Anyways, eventually we started talking to one another because the silence was quite uncomfortable. It had to have been twice as bad for him, having to put up with my discomfort on top of his. So we spoke, asked questions about one another, then started joking around, and by the end of the class we were at nicknames. Even if mine was Bells and Whistles. Jasper got a kick out of it.

"Yeah, but don't you feel healthy now?" He grinned at me.

Looking at him like he was crazy, I shook my head. "No! ... No; I feel like I'm dying!" I wheezed, straightening up. "Shouldn't you know that?"

Jasper shook his head and stepped back to let people through the door once the bell rang. He waited for me while I gathered up all my stuff. "Dying isn't an emotion."

"Smart ass." I mumbled, walking with him down the hall. "At least it's lunch finally." I said, yawning.

"Looks like I'd steer clear of the warm milk if I were you." He said. "The cold air should wake you up some." He opened the door of the building and a big gust of winter air blew in.

Shivering, I tied the cloak around my neck again. "At least I'll sleep like a baby tonight. Er, today."

Jasper chuckled again as we walked down the sidewalk. "I remember my first day here. Actually, I slept through half of it, so you're doing better than me so far."

"How long ago was that?" I asked.

He scratched his chin. "Two years in January."

"Wow." I said, heading to the dorms to put my stuff away. "How long does it take? The Change, I mean."

"Four years." He replied, nodding to himself. "Half way there."

Pursing my lips, I paused outside the door of the dorm. "And do the chances of… rejecting the Change decrease with time?"

Jasper's face grew somber. "No. It could happen to a graduate just as easily as it could to a new fledgling." Frowning, I started an internal checklist on how I felt. Would I even be able to feel it if I started rejecting the Change? Before I could dwell on that question though, I was suddenly very calm and relaxed. "Don't worry about it, Bella. You've got an affinity, and you've got one for a reason. Obviously Nyx has some plans for you, so I don't think you'll be rejecting the Change." Jasper said with a friendly smile. "Now hurry up, I want to stop by my dorm room to put my stuff away too."

Raising an eyebrow, I turned to look at him. "You're walking me to the dining hall too?"

Jasper rolled his eyes. "Not if you're going to take forever to get your butt back down here. I'm hungry." He joked. I just shook my head, running into the dorm to put my stuff away so I wouldn't have to keep the princess waiting too long.

Turns out Jasper too longer than I did to put his stuff away, which I took the liberty of pointing out to him as we walked to the dining hall. "Seriously, I was waiting out here for like five minutes."

"My room is on the very top floor." Jasper stated.

"And?"

"And that's why it took me longer. If your room was on the top floor, you would have taken forever as well." He said, stepping to the other side of the sidewalk so a few kids could pass between us.

"Yeah, if I dragged my feet the whole way." I scoffed. "I could have climbed that damn rope twice before you could make it up to your room and back at that snail's pace."

"Okay." He said sarcastically, holding the large oak door open for me. "I'd like to see you try, Bells and Whistles."

Before I could come back with some witty remark that would turn out only being witty to myself and lame to Jasper and anyone else who heard it, I bumped into someone in the line up for the buffet. "Oh, sorry!" I said, backing up.

A tall boy turned around with a sneer on his face that melted away into intrigue. He was tall, like Jasper, with long dirty blonde hair tied back in an elastic. His eyes were a muddy brown, unlike Jasper's deep dark ones. In fact, the two looked a lot alike. Only this guy was a skinnier, lankier, watered down version of Jasper, who was giving me a bad vibe. "Well well well, who do we have here?" He said, his voice slick and slimy sounding, but again, I could detect that hint of a southern drawl in it. Where Jasper had that scouts boy, good guy aura about him, this guy had the bad boy, dangerous one.

"Back off, James." Jasper warned, his face going hard as he tugged me slightly behind him.

James raised his hands with a smile. "I'm only curious." He said innocently.

Jasper's fists clenched. "No. You're not." He ground out.

The guy in front of James turned around. He had short brown hair that hung in his green eyes. He was thicker than James, like Jasper, but a little shorter. He crossed his arms over his chest, flexing, and levelled a stare at Jasper. James placed a hand on the guy's shoulder, never looking away from Jasper. "It's alright, Riley. Jazz here is just… concerned for his new friend. Scared he'll lose another to me." His eyes flickered to me. "I wouldn't blame you if you did ditch the golden boy to have a little _fun_." He said, wiggling his eyebrows.

I didn't bother holding back the gag. "Pass."

The smile dropped from James' face and Jasper tensed. "I'm sure you'll come around eventually." He said, grabbing his tray and giving Jasper a wink before he walked off with Riley.

Crinkling my nose, I turned back to Jasper and grabbed a tray. "Who was _that_ creep?"

Jasper mumbled out his reply. "My brother."

"Oh. Sorry." I said, blushing.

He shook his head. "Don't be. He _is_ a creep. Takes after my father." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'm so glad I didn't turn out like that, I don't think my mother could put up with _three_ of those."

"You take after her then?" I asked. A small smile crept onto his face as he nodded. "She must be sweet." I said, patting his arm.

He smiled brighter at me. "She is. Anyways, I think you should be running off to Rosalie's table before she sends Eve to drag you over there." Jasper chuckled. "See you later, Bella."

I patted his shoulder once more, grabbing my tray with my free hand. "Later, Cowboy."

With that, I made my way through the maze of tables, over to Rosalie's who was glowering at me as I approached.

This should be fun.

**XXxxXXxx**

**Chapter three!**

**So, there have been a couple of you that are… displeased, I suppose would be the nice way of putting it, with me lately. **

**For those of you who are upset about the number of stories I've got going without finishing any of my others;**

**Sucks to be you, I guess. Writing reviews and messages and everything getting all upset and cranky because of it**

… **yeah, that's not going to make me drop everything and finish a story for you. **

**For everyone else, hope this chapter was good for you guys! And thank **_**you**_** for all the support and compliments instead of angry messages. ^^**

**Review please.**

**Oh, annnnd. The mural thing Raven and those guys are painting, that was inspired by **_**TheSecretIsMine**_**'s piece on deviant art called **_**House of Night**_**. So there's a disclaimer thinger. You should check it out; it's pretty cool.**

**-Paige.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I also don't own the House of Night series or anything of theirs. Those belong to Stephanie Meyer, and P.C and Kirsten Cast.**

**Rated: T.**

**Author: Paige Turner.**

**Summary: AU. 'I didn't know how or why; but this pixie looking girl was different than everyone else. Even the people at **_**this**_** school, and that was saying something.' A/B R&R!**

**BELLA**

It was never light around there. _Never_. Ever.

You'd think it would be, when we're sleeping and all, right? Well you would be wrong. You know why? Because, after the very first day of my classes, I trudged up the stairs of the dorm with Eve after supper and fooling around the living room of the dorms with a couple of other girls; challenging them to games on the Wii. After all that, once Eve was exhausted, we went upstairs to the dorm room, got ready for bed, and by the time Eve's head hit her pillow, she was out like a light.

Me, on the other hand, stayed up for hours tossing and turning. I thought I would have been sleeping like a baby. Not the case. I'm not sure if it was because my mind wouldn't stop racing over today's events, or because my mind really knew that for the last seventeen years of my life I would be up right now. Either way, I wasn't sleeping.

So, not wanting to disturb Eve while she sawed logs over on the other side of the room, I snuck out into the dark hall and crept down the stairs to the living room with my notebook. School work always puts you to sleep, right? Why not give it a shot, eh?

Yeah, so not the case when you go to this school. I spent hours on one of the couches downstairs in the light of a TV on mute, doing my work. Well, doing work and thinking about lunch and the whole candle thing.

_Once Rosalie had stopped flipping out on me for 'associating with the freaks of the school', Eve took out a small blue candle and placed it on the table to take out a match. As much as I was curious about what she was going to do, I was still a little irked at Rosalie. Who was she to call Jasper, because that's the only one she knew of me talking to, a freak? He was just like her, only with a different affinity and a lot nicer._

_Rosalie caught my scowl and raised a challenging eyebrow at me. The others at the table caught on, looking between the two of us. "Is there a problem, Bella?" She asked in a false innocent voice._

_Emmett looked at me with almost disappointed eyes, like he didn't like how Rosalie was acting. He probably didn't, because as far as I could tell, Emmett was a really nice and decent guy. He shook his head, telling me to say no. He'd also probably seen this a bunch of times before, and judging by the others also giving a slight head shake, they had too._

_Deciding not to get into this now, especially since it was still my first day, I also shook my head. "Not at all… Rosie." I mumbled._

_Raven snorted, slapping a hand to her mouth as she looked away with a fake cough to try and covering it up as Rosalie's glare shot from me to her. Those intense green eyes were narrowed back on me. "What did you call me?" She snapped._

_This time it was _me_ with the fake innocent face and voice. "I didn't call you anything, Rosalie. Why, what do you think you heard me call you?"_

_Amusement flashed in her eyes, too quick for me to be even positive that I saw it. "Get on with your demonstration, Eve." She hissed, sinking back against Emmett's side._

_Eve looked between the two of us before nodding and picked the candle back up. "Watch, or rather, feel." She said, lighting the match and putting it to the wick of the candle._

_A gust of freezing winter air blew open the doors of the dining hall, playing with people's hair and clothes as it whooshed around to the table we were at, chilling me to the bone as it settled. It felt like we were standing outside in the snow and I hugged myself to keep warm._

"_Cool." I breathed, my eyes widening as I saw my breath. "What else can you do?" I asked, getting excited._

_Eve beamed, but Rosalie cleared her throat. "No more inside. Put out the candle."_

_Eve frowned, but did as she was told, blowing out the candle and I, too, frowned as the air around us warmed up again._

It had been really neat. I wanted to see everyone's affinities, but they had classes and homework and said I'd probably have to wait for the first circle casting or at least the weekend. It also made me want to practice my own affinity, but I had absolutely no idea how. Eve told me that mentors usually helped in that area, so I'd have to ask Esme for help.

Sighing and taking off my glasses to rub my eyes, I leaned back against the couch and stretched. I was tired, but not enough to fall asleep yet, and I was already done my homework.

"Can't sleep?"

I jumped, scrambling to put my glasses back on and narrowed my eyes at Alice. "Do you always have to do that? You can't make a little noise to alert me to the fact that you're creeping around? You can't just be normal?"

Alice giggled, jumping onto the couch beside me. I was surprised at her pyjamas; big bunny slippers, pink plaid cotton pants, and a big grey hooded sweater. She seemed the type who would have fancy pj's. She shook her head. "I can't actually; I've got a title to live up to you know. They don't call me freak for nothing."

My eyes shot down to my lap. "You heard Rosalie, huh." I asked, but it came out more like a statement. Of course she heard; it's not like Rosalie was trying to be discreet about it.

Alice frowned, fiddling with her slippers as she hugged her knees to her chest. "Hey, it's fine. I've been called worse, really."

"How can you say that's fine? That's not fine; it's mean and nasty." I snapped, not at her, just in general.

Alice shrugged. "That's just Rosalie. Besides, it's not like I always don't deserve it. I do try my best to make her life hell any way I can." She giggled again.

Snorting, I nodded in agreement. "Yeah, when I first met you I totally thought you were a b… uh, mean." I said, catching myself.

Alice smirked. "I thought you looked a little…" She gestured with her hand and shook her head. "I'm not. Well, not completely. Just to people who deserve it. I really was trying to save that comment for Rosalie, and I don't doubt, at all, that you're the Fire element they've been looking for."

I smiled appreciatively at her, looking back down to the notebook in my lap. We sat there in silence for a few moments and I fought to not awkwardly scratch the back of my neck like my hand was itching to do.

Seriously though, I'm quiet and all, but I can't handle it when other people are too.

Alice broke the silence once again though. "So you and Jasper have gym with one another, he told me." She said, seemingly interested.

"Yup." I nodded.

She bit her lip. "I also heard you met James." Another nod. "And Jasper told you a little bit about the family there." Once more, a nod. "And you called him Cowboy."

"He wears cowboy boots with his uniform and has a southern drawl, I couldn't help it." I blushed. What, were they dating? Was she going to tell me to back off? "I-I don't like him like that or anything. We're just friends."

Alice looked at me quizzically. "Um, alright. I wasn't insinuating that you were more. I was just surprised how close you are from just one class. Jasper is a quiet guy who doesn't really open up to anyone. I was just wondering what made you different."

"Oh." I breathed out in a sigh.

Then she exploded into a fit of tinkling giggles as she fell back against the arm of the couch. "You thought I was _jealous_ of _you_?" She laughed harder as I blushed again. "Me and Jasper? Gross; he's like my brother!" I sat there, scowling as she laughed and laughed. Finally she was starting to calm down. "S-Sorry, but that was just too funny. Seriously, me jealous for him?" She giggled a couple more times before taking a deep breath. "That was good."

"Not that this hasn't been lovely," I started, sarcasm dripping from my voice. "But I think I'm going to go lay in bed staring at the ceiling until class."

Alice grabbed my hand as I stood up, pulling me down onto the couch next to her again. "Wait, I came down here for a reason. I couldn't sleep my first day either, so I popped in some old Lucy episodes with a bowl of popcorn and fell asleep watching them quietly." She reached down over the side of the arm of the couch and brought back a DVD of Lucy and a package of popcorn. "You go cook this in the kitchen while I put this on."

And soon we were sitting, wrapped up in our each individual blankets, laughing quietly and munching on popcorn while we watched Lucy in black and white.

**XXxXXxXX**

Someone roughly shook my shoulder and I was jerked awake. I groggily blinked the sleep from my eyes and looked up into the livid face of Rosalie. I yelped and flinched, looking away quickly. That is so not something you want to wake up to.

Seriously.

"Get up and get dressed, Bella." Rosalie snapped.

There was groggier mumbling and I looked down to see Alice's head on a pillow on my legs that were propped up on the coffee table in front of the couch. No wonder I was sore. She yawned and stretched, punching me in the side and I grunted. "Wha – Sorry!" She said, springing up into a sitting position, furiously blinking her golden eyes.

"And turn off whatever magnet is attracting these freaks." Rosalie snapped, turning to walk away.

Alice, who was awake and aware of what was happening now, smirked. "What, are you scared I'll steal another one of your little club members?"

What was with people threatening other people by saying they were going to steal me?

Rosalie stiffened, turning around to glare at Alice. "Not even a little bit; you don't _leave_ the Dark Daughters. You're kicked out or not invited." She said with her own smirk.

Alice's dropped as she glared at Rosalie. "Or you turn down the invitation, like Jasper and Edward _would_ have."

Rosalie still had her smirk. "They wouldn't have had to." She chimed.

Alice was growling. "You wanted them and you know it!"

Rosalie put on a mock sympathy face. "Dark Daughters is looking for _talented_ fledglings, sorry."

Alice was on her feet, up in Rosalie's face. "They've got more talent than you could ever _wish_ to have, Rosalie Hale."

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Yes, that's why they're the leader of the Dark Daughters and I'm not even in it… oh wait." She grinned.

Alice clenched her fists, stomping off to the stairs and Rosalie turned to me, looking expectant. "What?" I asked, self conscious when she just stared at me.

"Being the missing element will only give you so much leash, Bella." She warned before turning on her heel and marching out of the dorm.

Well.

Obviously that little bit of warmth I saw in her eyes to Emmett was _not_ extended to the rest of the dark Daughters or even the circle.

Biting my lip, I figured I should go and check on Alice who seemed pretty upset, just to make sure she was alright. "Ouch." I murmured, lifting my hand to my mouth and touching my lip. When I looked at my fingers, I saw blood and my eyes widened. I didn't think I was biting _that_ hard. Looking in the reflection of the bowl of old popcorn on the coffee table, I saw that my canines were also elongated and dropped the bowl onto the table. "Freak out about that later, find Alice now." I mumbled, getting to my feet.

After asking a few girls, I found out that like Jasper, Alice's dorm room was on the very top floor, and climbed the stairs. Her door was also the very last one down the long hall, and I grumbled to myself the entire time as I walked down to it, knocking quietly. The door opened and Alice was holding a towel and shower stuff in her arms, when she saw me her eyes narrowed. "What?"

"Um, I just wanted to make sure you were okay after that." I said, stepping back as her tone slapped me in the face. Was she mad at _me_?

Alice snorted. "What do you care?" She snapped.

Hold on one minute. What was happening here? "I'm sorry, but _why_ are you talking to me like _I_ was the one saying the things down there that Rosalie did. I didn't say anything!" I snapped back, crossing my arms over my chest. I didn't appreciate her taking her anger out on me when I just came up to see how she was doing.

But this only made Alice angrier. "That's right; you _didn't_ say anything. Not a single thing! You just stood there while Rosalie insulted Edward and Jasper!" She growled, stomping her foot. She brushed past me, slamming her door shut. "I thought you were Jasper's friend."

"I am!" I shouted, following her down the hall.

She glared over her shoulder at me. "Wow, I can't believe all these years I've gone without such a _terrific_ friend like you."

"Stop it! I am a good friend, Alice. You don't know me, you don't know anything about me; you have no idea if I'm a good friend or not!" I yelled.

Alice stopped abruptly, turning to face me with a livid face. "I _do_ know that a good friend doesn't just stand there and let someone else insult their friends."

"What was I supposed to do? Pop her one in the face?" I growled.

"You stick up for them!" She exploded, sounding exasperated.

I ran a hand through my hair. "It wouldn't have changed her opinion about it, Alice." I said, lowering my voice as people peeked out of their rooms to look at us. "It wouldn't have changed anything at all. It would have just made her mad at me. You guys don't have to see her every day like I do. You guys can actually _avoid_ her. I can't! I'm in the circle, and I don't need her on my back while I'm still new here."

"Just leave us alone, Bella." Alice said quietly, sighing to herself. I faltered. "Jasper doesn't need someone like you in his life, and neither do I, so just run along with your Dark Daughters." She said, turning and walking away.

"Alice." I called, going after her. "Alice, wait!" But when she didn't even look back at me, I gave up.

Eve was in the room waiting for me when I got back. She was on her bed, bouncing excitedly. "Hey! Where've you been? I woke up and looked over to see that you weren't there; I figured you were taking a long shower or something but your hair is dry."

"Downstairs." I mumbled, walking to the wardrobe with a frown and opened it up.

Eve automatically turned around, still bouncing. "Oh, that's cool. Anyways, I was thinking that at lunch we could try and help you with your affinity. I can grab your candle and you'll light it so we can see what happens. What do you think?"

"Not today, Eve." I mumbled, buttoning up the black blouse and tied a red tie around my neck.

"Is something wrong?" Eve asked, turning to look at me now that I was decent.

My hand passed the Dark Daughters cloak and instead pulled out a black school blazer, slipping it on. "Nothing that I need help with. I'll let you know if I do though." I said, sitting on my bed to lace up my black chucks.

"Okay." Eve said, slowly and hesitantly. "You want to grab some breakfast before class?"

I shook my head. "No, you can, but I'm just going to head in early." I said, tossing a wave over my shoulder as I left the room.

**xxXxxXxx**

Classes went by slow. I mostly kept to myself, still upset about this morning. I mean really, what was I supposed to do? Were Jasper and I friends? We spent one class and walked to lunch together. Did that make us friends? Even so, wouldn't he understand that I have to be around Rosalie seventy percent of the day? That if she and I were not on good terms, it would ruin me. I wouldn't last.

So, not wanting to go and see Rosalie or any of the Dark Daughters because I was mad at her, but not wanting to run into Jasper or Alice because they were mad at me, or at the very least, Alice was, I skipped the dining hall for lunch. Instead I wandered about, and found myself sitting in the very back corner of the wall running around the entire House's grounds. It wasn't as cold as the previous day, despite the snow and all, and I wondered if that was because I wasn't new anymore and the cold doesn't affect us as bad, or if it was because of the affinity.

Either way, it made sitting in that corner much easier than it would have been the previous day.

Footsteps crunching in the snow made me look up and strain my eyes to see who was approaching me, and I relaxed again when I saw it was just Esme. She smiled as she approached, and I felt my spirits lift already. It was hard to be in a bad mood around Esme. "Hello, Bella."

"Hi." I replied.

She pointed to the wall next to me. "Do you mind if I sit?"

Shaking my head, I went to scoot over, but realized she had the whole wall length. "Not at all, go ahead."

She smiled gratefully at me and sat down next to me, looking out at the grounds in front of us. "Did you want to talk about it?" She asked after a few moments of peaceful silence.

"Talk about what?" I played ignorant.

"About what has you upset, Bella." Esme said with a knowing smile. Figures she would know. Eve already warned me that she knew everything that goes on here. "This is where I ran off to after the first mistake I made when I was your age and new at the House." She said.

"What'd _you_ do?" I asked, wondering what would have someone who oozed power, running to a corner for.

Esme looked down at her lap, smiling sheepishly. "I tripped while carrying my lunch tray, and spilt my pudding all over Susan Thompson. She was the High Priestess in training." She laughed quietly to herself while I bit my lip to keep from doing so. That totally could have been me. "It was then I was deemed the nickname 'Pudding Plop'."

I couldn't help but snorting that time as I laughed. "Oh man, I'm so glad that was you and not me. I would have died from embarrassment, never mind ran off to a corner." I settled down, still chuckling slightly, and took a deep breath. "I'm actually surprised I haven't done anything like that yet; I'm kind of a klutz."

Esme laughed. "Oh I know, you're much worse than I was."

Pausing, I cocked my head to the side. "You know?"

Again, Esme looked sheepish. "Yes." She cleared her throat. "You know, all of this never sounded creepy until now, but I promise you it wasn't intentionally to be creepy. Seventeen years ago, my Tracker told me he found someone who was to be Marked and put in this House. I didn't think anything of it until he took me with him and I saw that the girl he was to Mark was pregnant." My eyes widened. Renee got pregnant with me when she was only eighteen. "I convinced him to let her be until she gave birth, as to not cause any problems."

She shook her head, looking at me with a smile. "We went back the day she gave birth, and were both shocked to find out _she_ was not the one who was to be Marked anymore. It was her baby. This was new and unusual, and neither of us could go through with it; you were just a baby and we couldn't take you from your mother. But I knew eventually you would be Marked, so I kept an eye on you throughout the years, making sure nothing ever happened to you."

There were a few minutes of silence as she let me absorb all of what she had said. "So… you've been watching me my whole life?" I asked. "Not going to lie; that's kind of creepy."

Esme huffed. "Well I wasn't going to let anything happen to one of my fledglings, and you were so young and small and I already knew about you and I just couldn't _not_ look out for you." She said.

"Then why did all the others say you've been looking for me for so long?" I asked, confused.

Esme shrugged. "Well I couldn't have them knowing all of this or they would think I was playing favourites. I didn't want you treated any differently."

"You're such a mom." I mumbled, amused.

"Now," Esme said, patting my knee. "Onto the real problem here. Why are you not having lunch in the dining hall with the others?" She asked.

Sighing, I fiddled my thumbs. "This morning I managed to get on two people's bad sides while trying to avoid getting on one's." I said.

Esme nodded. "What happened?"

Recalling this morning, I elaborated. "Well this morning Rosalie-"

"Oh." Esme said, understanding flashing in her eyes. I raised an eyebrow. "Rosalie… requires more patience from people than others."

"I did!" I said. "I _was_ patient! I know the only way to deal with those people is to not let it get to you, to not retaliate or they'll never quit. But Alice got all mad because I wouldn't say anything and I wouldn't 'stick up for Jasper' and now she won't talk to me _and_ Rosalie is mad at me. Alice doesn't understand that there was _nothing_ I could do to make that situation better."

Esme had a knowing look. "I'm afraid I can't help you here. Both Rosalie and Alice need to tell you their stories themselves and I'm afraid to say that that's the only way you'd understand anything that's going on between the two."

"… What?"

Esme smiled, getting to her feet and held out her hand for me to take as she pulled me to my feet. "The girls are similar in a lot of ways and have been through similar situations in their lives. They just don't know that. And because of that fact, it would be exceptionally hard for them to get along, and because of that again it would be exceptionally hard to be _both_ of their friends.

My brows furrowed. "Wait, so what does that mean?"

Esme grinned. "That means good luck."

"What? But you just said-" I began.

"If _anyone_ can manage to do it, Bella, than it's you." She said.

"That's it?" I asked. "That's all you've got for me?"

Esme smile. "That's it."

"Now what?" I asked, walking with her back towards the sidewalks.

"Now we go and see if Emmett was right." She replied, turning down a sidewalk I had never been before.

"About what?" I asked wearily.

"You." She chimed.

The building she led me to looked just like all the others on the outside. Stone walks, dark windows, big oak doors, pointed tops looking all castle like, victorian styled and stuff. Could you tell I didn't read much fashion or designer crap? I was surprised I could even dress myself. Honestly.

Anyway, the outside looked just the same as all the other buildings so I wasn't really that anxious at all or anything. As far as I could tell, she was just taking me to a classroom or something like that. Or maybe even where her own room place was. I hadn't seen the adult vamps and professors' place yet, so maybe this was it. The place could have even been a ballroom. It was very big like that; really tall and super long and wide.

So, you can imagine how nervous and confused I got when I saw the two enormous vampyres standing outside the oak doors. They were both even bigger than Emmett, not by much but still; the guy was huge, and a lot meaner looking, making me shrink into Esme's side. They looked like they could be twins too; both had long brown hair tied up and all tribal looking, dark skin, with the filled in moon, and more tribal looking tattoos framing their sapphire blue eyes and their faces. Their biceps had to be really close, if not exactly, the size of my thigh and a little more. The vamps… if you took a truck and turned it into a human -or vampyre-, you'd get them.

Oh yeah, to top that all off, they both had giant blades criss crossing on their backs. Shiny and silver, looking sleek and very sharp, they were curved and had black handles and black inscriptions on them.

Looking up to Esme with wide eyes, I saw the vamps bow lowly, with a fist covering their hearts. Esme inclined her head to them and then turned to me as they hauled open the doors. "They are warriors who agreed to stay on school grounds all the time in order to protect the kids if ever there were a need to." She told me quietly as we entered, wrapping her arm around my shoulders.

Nodding feebly, I furrowed my brows. "Is Emmett one, er, training to be one?"

Esme smiled and nodded. "His second day here, he found the Warriors patrolling the grounds and was quite excited. He began his training later that evening."

Emmett. What a goof. It was hard to picture him being a warrior, not because he couldn't do it; he most certainly could I guarantee it, but because he was such a nice guy that you couldn't picture him enjoying it.

That's when I looked around the interior of the building, faltering in my steps. The floor in here definitely _was_ marble, the walls way off to every side hidden in shadows were also stone, and the ceiling… well the ceiling was too high up for me to see. The whole place, which was just one room I realized, was clear of everything; no tables or chairs or anything like that. On the walls there were wracks of different weaponry like the swords the warriors outside were carrying, and all kinds of others. Knives, throwing knives, long swords, short swords, long staffs, short ones, bows, crossbows, all kinds of weapons like that. But I noticed that there wasn't a single gun or modern day weapon.

And the more I looked at the ground, the more I noticed. There was black paint, or engravings painted in with black paint, all over the floor. Circles with things in them, plain circles, squares, loops, designs, scripture in all kinds of languages, figures, just a whole bunch of things.

"What _is_ this place?" I asked, looking at the ground as I walked to the middle-ish of the room.

"This is the training building." Esme said, giving me space to look at everything. She watched me closely, like she expected something to happen though I wasn't even sure what Emmett had told her about me. "Kids and adults with affinities come here to train with them, but everyone uses it as well." She said, gesturing to the wracks on the walls.

"What does all of this mean?" I asked, gesturing to the ground. "Most of it isn't even English, I don't think."

Esme shrugged her shoulders. "I can't help you there. Only vampyres and fledglings with affinities can see whatever it is on the ground." She replied simply.

My face whipped up. "What?" I asked. "How is that possible?"

Esme smiled. "Someone I used to know a long time ago had an affinity for affinities. They insisted on doing _something_ in here, but I never knew what it was until a fledgling with their own affinity pointed it out. I haven't stopped hearing about it since." She laughed lightly. "To be perfectly honest, most of the professors around here who have no affinities, like myself, are a little jealous and curious to see what it is on the ground. Alice offered to sketch it out, but I said no."

"Why?" I asked. Why wouldn't she let Alice sketch it out if she wanted to know what was on there.

Again, she smiled. "Because; whatever is on the floor there was meant for your eyes, and not ours."

"Huh." I mumbled. "Okay, well what do you want me to do?" I asked, glancing at my watch to see we still had a while more before class.

"First," A new voice said, making me jump. Professor Cullen walked into the building with a smile offered to me as he went to stand next to Esme. My jaw dropped as I watched him kiss her on the cheek. "You need to close your mouth before you catch flies. That's what's first." He laughed.

Esme smiled. "Carlisle is here to help us with your training. He's helped everyone else with their own affinities and is the very best." She chimed.

Clearing my throat and shaking the shock from my head, I nodded. "Okay, what should I do first Professor-"

"It's Carlisle, Bella. I'm Professor Cullen to my students in class and Carlisle to my fledglings I train out of class." He smiled. "Otherwise it gets much too formal."

Nodding again, I blinked a few times. This was kind of weird. "Alright… Carlisle. What should I do first?"

Carlisle got down to business then. "First you should get into your position in the circle." At my blank look, he explained. "I'm surprised Eve hasn't gone over everything with you yet. Anyway, we'll start with the innermost circle; it's for beginners who haven't yet mastered their affinities of the elements. If they have one, of course. The circle is only for them. There are different spots around the room for others'." He walked over to the very middle of the room and pointed to a clear, clean spot that had a circle I was to step into. The writing around it was latin and I'd have to look it up later.

"How do you know where I should go? I thought you didn't have an affinity." I said, frowning.

Carlisle nodded. "I don't, but I know where the others go; I trained them. Even if I didn't though," He started pointing to different spots. "They've left their marks while training and using their affinities. Eve's spot is there, the paint is washed out because of her affinity." Ah, water. That's right, the black paint wasn't as noticeable in and around her circle. "Rosalie's is, well, that." The engraved words and designs weren't black with paint, but green and different colours with vegetation that had grown up through cracks in the ground. It looked pretty cool. "Raven's doesn't look any different, but you can feel it, along with Cole's. Hers, you feel lighter. Better. Cole's, you actually feel a draft, and your clothes are blown around by an invisible wind that's only ever in that spot."

"Why is that?" I asked.

"They've used their affinities in the one spot so many times that they've left a foot print, so to speak." Carlisle explained. "It's like that in all the larger circles around the room as well."

"Okay." I said, quickly cleaning my glasses and put them back on. "What should I do now?" I asked, rolling my shoulders.

"We're going to light a candle." Carlisle said.

Oh.

My shoulders slumped. "Alright."

Esme walked over and handed Carlisle a red candle and a match. The candle wasn't as big as the one Eve showed me at lunch the previous day, nor was it blue but I assumed they were colour coded according to your element. Carlisle walked over in front of me and smiled. "Now, you'll hold the candle while I light it and I want you to tell me if you feel anything. Anything at all. I don't want you to feel like something is wrong if nothing happens though, these things take time, alright?" I nodded.

Carlisle placed the candle into my ready hand and jumped back as the wick exploded into flame, burning brightly. I too had jumped and almost dropped the candle as I held it as far away as possible. "Was that supposed to happen?" I asked with wide eyes, looking to Carlisle alarmed.

Both he and Esme were looking at the candle and myself with wide eyes. Esme's brows furrowed and she cocked her head to the side. "But… She can't… it's too soon." She said, looking to Carlisle with worried eyes.

Carlisle cleared his throat and walked back over to me. "You… you seem to be at an advanced level already, Bella." He smiled at me, reassuring me and Esme. "It's fine though. Better than fine, actually. You're very gifted. I just want to see _how_ gifted. Could you put your hand over the flame and slowly lower it until it burns you?"

"Excuse me?" I gasped, looking at him like he was insane. Did he really just ask what I think he did? He – He wanted me to _burn_ myself?

"If I'm correct in my thinking, you should be fine." He said, looking up in my eyes. There was certainty there... just not enough.

But, he was the teacher, er, professor so he knew best. "Fine." I muttered, biting my lip. I lifted my free hand above the candle and let it hover to where I could feel the warmth of the flame. Glancing at Carlisle, who nodded, and to Esme who was also biting her lip, I slowly started to lower my hand. But, as brave as I felt doing this, it didn't change the fact that I still _was_ a chicken, so I closed my eyes as I continued to lower my hand. The temperature got hot, very hot, but it was different. It's like when something is really cold and you're like 'Oh man, that's cold' but it's not painful, just really cold. Only this was hot. So it wasn't painful, just really damn hot. And then there was the candle hitting my palm. My eyes flew open in surprise, widening at the sight.

The flame was... my hand... my hand was in the flame. The flame was running under my palm to the sides and up, getting smaller though from the lack of oxygen. Curious and feeling kind of numb from the shock, I watched with awed eyes as I turned my hand over, still not being burnt.

"This is so cool!" I exclaimed, my eyes locking on the flickering flame.

Carlisle was smiling along with Esme. "That's great." Carlisle commented. "Are you ready to move on?" I furiously nodded my head. Hells to the yeah, I was ready. This was some super hero awesome comic book stuff. And _I_ was doing it. _Me!_ "Alright, I want you to try moving the flame onto your hand, to hold it in your hand." He said.

Nodding, I grabbed the flame. "Little trickier than I thought..." I mumbled when it still burnt on the wick around my fingers. It was kind of like trying to hold smoke. This time I tried turning the candle upside down, apologizing when I spilt wax on the floor. Esme told me to forget about it; it was just wax. Yet still, I couldn't pour the flame into my hand either. No matter what I did, the flame staying on the wick of the candle every single time. "Okay, clearly this isn't working. What am I doing wrong?" I asked, huffing to myself. I idly wiped my forehead. It was getting freaking warm by the candle. The thing was radiating heat. Felt more like a campfire than a candle fire.

Carlisle frowned. "You're controlling your hand, not the flame."

Uhh, what? "Huh?" I asked.

He waved it off. "It's a little more complicated and is what takes the longest to learn for anyone since you can't _teach_ someone how on account of the fact that they can't do it. You just have to focus and learn how to control and manipulate the _fire_ and not yourself. It'll take a lot of time and practice, but I'm sure you'll get it soon. Now, I want to see what happens if we put you in the circle, don't you?" He asked, looking to Esme.

Esme nodded. "Yes; no one has had all five elements in their House in a couple hundred years."

My eyes widened. A couple _hundred_ years? Wow.

"I'll be right back." She said, hurrying to the doors again and pushed them open. I waited with Carlisle, still trying to hold the flame in my hand, until she returned. My patience started wearing thin though as I growled quietly to myself. This was maddening. Infuriating. If I could stick my hand into the candle without being burnt, right off the hop, then this should be easy. Shouldn't it? The doors were opening again and I stuck my tongue out at the candle, flicking the flame with my fingers as I looked up to the door.

"You did it!" Carlisle said, pointing to the flame that quickly went out on the floor.

"Naha!" I cackled, grinning triumphantly at the candle without a flame in my hands. Now I just had to figure out what I did exactly.

"Do I even want to know?" Raven asked, walking over to us with the others in tow. Her hair had a bunch of curls in it today and was once again, completely black, partially hidden in the Dark Daughters' cloak hood. The others looked much the same, though their hoods were even lower on their faces as they stood in their circles forming the circle.

"No. Not yet, anyways." I replied, looking to Carlisle who stepped back with Esme out of the little circle.

"Man, it's been, what, two years at least since we've been in this little circle. Back during Eve's training, right?" Cole asked, looking reminiscent. "Time flies."

A pair of intense green eyes were narrowed at me and I quickly looked away from Rosalie. "So, we going to start this thing or what?" I asked nervously.

Raven nodded, stepping into the circle in the middle of our circle as she lifted up a purple candle. "Yes, and we've got an order. Unfortunately, or fortunately -however you look at it- you're last. It's Spirit, Earth, Air, Water, and Fire. Ready?"

"I suppose, yeah." I nodded.

Raven faced the direction all the others were and I decided that I should probably follow their lead, and did so as well. She lifted the lit match to her candle and I was surprised to see the flame burning purple rather than the original colour; yellow-y orange. I felt something inside me flutter as a giant, random smile formed on my lips. I just... I felt... better. Everything from before, everyone being upset with me, all of at drama; it just melted away. She closed her eyes, whispering a few words under her breath too quiet for me to hear and placed the candle at her feet. There was a slight hesitation, like she had to _try_ to leave her circle before standing in front of Rosalie's.

The two locked eyes before Raven broke out into a goofy grin that was so contagious it looked like even Rosalie's lips, under the hood, were fighting back a smile. She eventually lost the battle, her lips pulling up into a grin revealing pearly whites and elongated canines. Raven lit Rosalie's candle and the overgrown engraved vegetation grew even more as the smell of a rain forest wafted to my nose. Her candle burned brightly while she whispered words, the flame flickering before turning green to match the candle.

Cole offered Raven a smile and she winked at him before touching the match to his grey candle's wick. With astonished eyes, I watched their hair and clothes blow around in a breeze that passed by me and focused on them. I tucked a lock of hair behind my ear, trying not to giggle. I felt so refreshed and giddy and excited. I wasn't sure where it came from but I also wasn't sure I wanted it to go away. The two looked down at the grey flame as Cole also closed his eyes, whispering words.

Eve was next, smiling brightly at Raven who smiled back. Eve eagerly held out her candle and Raven laughed softly, touching the flame on the burning match to the wick of the blue candle. My head whipped around as I swear I heard ocean waves crashing against a cliff's edge. Esme and Carlisle caught my eye, looking at all of us curiously. Eve ducked her head down, whispering words to herself as she locked her gaze onto the blue flame in front of her.

And then Raven was walking over to me, a reassuring smile gracing her features. She stopped in front of my circle and I smiled nervously at her, taking a deep breath. "You ready?" She whispered.

"Yes." I said, though I wasn't sure if it was audible.

With that, she slowly extended the lit match out towards the wick of my red candle, glancing up at me just before they touched. We both jumped in surprise as my candle's flame danced wildly, shooting off to Eve's candle and from there to Cole's candle, then to Rosalie's candle, all the way back to my own candle. Raven's, which was still in the middle, started flickering yellow-y orange, grey, green, blue, and back to purple, over and over again as the line of flame between all the other candles created a circle.

Esme and Carlisle were running over to us, saying something, but it couldn't be heard above the cackle of the flame, or the waves of the ocean, or the big gust of wind. When they reached our circle, just before they could touch us, it was like there was an invisible wall or something that sent them flying backwards.

That's when everything went wrong. We all started to yell to one another and both Carlisle and Esme who were scrambling up to their feet again. My hair was blowing around in my face as I tried to step out of my circle, but again, it was like there was an invisible wall.

Finally Rosalie's voice broke over all the noise. "Send the elements back!" She screamed to be heard, pointing to Raven's candle in the middle. "Same order!"

Raven raced over to her own circle, stepping in, and bent over to pick up her candle. It was the second her hands touched the purple candle that things went from bad to worse.

I was finally burning. That's what it felt like. My palms, my face, the inside sides of my arms, all down my spine and around my waist, the outside sides of my legs and the soles of my feet. It felt like someone was dragging a red hot poker along them all. I cried out, crumpling to the marble floor still in my circle, watching as Eve fell to her knees, clenching her fists in front of her as she squeezed her eyes shut. Rosalie and Raven were the last ones standing, Rosalie trying to bark out orders to stop this to Raven, even past all the pain she too was clearly in. Esme and Carlisle were yelling and the warriors from outside were running over to us along with a few professors I had seen around the school.

Raven dropped to her knees, tears streaming down her face as she struggled to lift the candle to her lips. And then it was out and she collapsed to the ground breathing heavily, but unconscious. Rosalie didn't have time to do anything before her own candle suddenly burnt out and she fell back, also unconscious. Cole's was out and his eyes fluttered shut, then Eve slumped.

I managed to keep my eyes open long enough for my candle to go out and to see Esme rush into the circle before everything went black.

**XXxXXxXX**

**gfdkjenofndaf.**

**Yeah. So here's your chapter! ^^**

**Review please.**

**-Paige.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I also don't own the House of Night series or anything of theirs. Those belong to Stephanie Meyer, P.C and Kirsten Cast.**

**Rated: T.**

**Author: Paige Turner.**

**Summary: AU. 'I didn't know how or why; but this pixie looking girl was different than everyone else. Even the people at **_**this**_** school, at that was saying something.' A/B R&R!**

**BELLA**

Oh. My. Freaking. Leprechauns.

Don't you just hate it when you wake up with a killer headache? Sucks big time. Now, imagine that, only times a million, and add pins and needles all over your body. _Again_, times a million. I could already tell this was going to be so much worse than when I woke up here my first day, and I hadn't even opened my eyes yet. Damn. Such a mood killer, eh?

When I cracked open an eye, I wasn't surprised that the world was blurry and unfocused. Reaching blindly around the bed and table beside the bed for my glasses, I heard people talking in hushed tones. Well, everyone _besides_ Rosalie was hushed. She was yammering away, demanding to know what happened to us, and for once I wasn't going to complain because I really wanted to know what the hell went wrong as well. My glasses were pushed into my searching hands and I muttered my thanks to whoever helped me out, sitting up.

With a groan, I stretched and sat up against the headboard, slipping on my glasses. Esme was at the end of my bed, and I assumed it was her who handed me my glasses. She looked stressed. Like, seriously stressed. Her hair definitely hadn't seen a brush yet, there were bags under her eyes, and her nails looked like they had been chewed on. So naturally, seeing _Esme_ all freaked out, got _me_ all freaked out. "What happened?" I asked quietly.

"Finally you're up! What did you do to us?" Rosalie snapped from a few beds away. I turned to look towards her and gasped. Emmett was sitting on the end of her bed, and he too looked all stressed out, but his smile was back as he held her hand. Carlisle was standing up, leaning against the closed door to the infirmary, and it appeared that he had been running his hands through his hair, with bags under his eyes too. All the others, Cole, Raven, and Eve, were all laying or sitting in their own beds like me and Rosalie.

Only there was one big difference from before.

Rosalie's Crescent Moon Mark, though not filled in like adult vamps, had tattoos that most would acquire once done the Change. They were sapphire blue, matching the outlined Mark, and were thin swirls framing her eyes and cheek bones, disappearing back into her hair above her ears, then reappearing from the arms of her shirt on the inside sides of her arms, covering her palms. All along the swirls, that when I looked closer appeared to be vines, were leaves and small flowers and all kinds of things you'd find or picture when you hear nature.

Eve wasn't that different either. Hers were also sapphire blue, but the swirls were waves, framing her eyes and cheek bones, disappearing into her hair like Rosalie's, though Eve was leaning forward stretching and her shirt rode up to reveal more waves around her waist and up her spine. They matched her more than they did Rosalie, but that was because anything blue looked best on Eve compared to anyone else, what with her eyes, extreme pale complexion, and white hair. And, as lame as it sounds, with her hair tucked behind one ear like it was, she kind of reminded me of a snow elf.

Cole's, like the others', were sapphire blue, all covering the same spots, only his wasn't waves. Nor was it vines. His was… I coked my head to the side, studying his. They looked like gusts of wind. Like wind if you drew it; the lines that curl around at the end. It was kind of cool, actually. Neat to look at because at first glance they looked like symbols.

Ravens were the most interesting though. Hers were sapphire blue, swirling around, framing her eyes and cheek bones, all down her spine and on her palms and everything. The only difference was that there were actual symbols and words within the swirls and everything on hers. They weren't English, because around here nothing ever was and it was driving me crazy, but some foreign language. I was suddenly curious as to what she could do with her affinity.

My eyes widened when I looked down at my own palms. It was different when you saw it on yourself and not just someone else. Mine were sapphire, and I assumed in the same places as everyone else (like where it felt like a hot poker had been dragged across and I'd have to remember to check my legs later), only my swirls were flames. It was a little cheesy, but pretty damn awesome at the same time. The only issue I had was the fact that I felt like one of those cars that fraternity boys, or people trying to look cool, drive. The ones were they put flames on their car and blast their stupid music.

But despite that, this was insanely cool.

"Are you going to just gawk or are you going to tell us what the hell you did?" Rosalie snapped. I looked up to see her glaring at me.

Wait, she thought _I_ did this? Was she crazy?

"You think I did this?" I asked and she nodded. "How? How would I do this? _You're_ the experienced fledgling here! I can't even work my affinity well! I couldn't have done _this_!" I snapped back.

Rosalie was fuming. "This has never happened to us. It's a pretty damn big coincidence that it just so happens when _you_ join the circle your very first time." She seethed. "Now, what. Did. You. Do?"

"Nothing." I growled. "But I'll show you what I _want_ to do."

"Girls." Carlisle said, pushing off the wall as Rosalie threw her legs off the side of the bed. I whipped back my blankets. "Enough!" He said and we both faltered, looking at him. "It was neither of you. No one."

"What do you mean?" Rosalie asked.

Carlisle cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair. "Well, a lot was happening all at once. When Esme and myself tried to run to you guys to help, we were blocked out. It was like your circle created a barrier, and wouldn't let anyone in. A protective barrier."

"Protective?" Raven scoffed. "We were trapped!"

"But you were safe." Carlisle said. "Or, would have _been_ safe, had someone tried attacking you while you were casting." He scratched his chin, shaking his head. "What I'm getting at here, is that I think all of this was the circle. I think, because you had all five elements and completed the circle; this happened."

"Has this ever happened before?" Eve asked curiously.

Carlisle was the one who faltered this time. "Uh, no. It hasn't. _But_, all of you were powerful to begin with. You all skipped right along to advanced levels in your training, which has never happened before either." He said.

"What about all of this?" I asked, gesturing to myself. What did all of this mean?

Carlisle frowned, looking down to the floor. "I'm not sure yet." He murmured, deep in thought.

A heavy silence fell over all of us as we all tried to figure everything out in our heads. I still couldn't believe what had happened. Why? Why did it happen? What does it mean? Why would we need a protective barrier around our circle? Who would attack us?

There was a lot more to being a vampyre than they were letting on.

"What are we supposed to do about all of this?" Rosalie asked, motioning to her face. "You can't exactly _hide_ it. It's all over!"

"You won't need to hide it." Esme said. "If any of the other fledglings give you trouble about your tattoos, just send them to me."

Rosalie groaned, falling back against Emmett who wrapped his arms around her. "There's going to be so much whispering."

"So what's the deal here?" Raven asked, looking to Esme. "We just go on like nothing happened? Pretend that these just randomly appeared over night, no big deal?"

Esme bit her lip. "I think it would be best if the others didn't know all of what happened. At least, not until _we_ actually do."

"What do we tell them, then?" I asked.

Esme looked over to me. "Tell them what it is; that Nyx has plans for you."

"What does that mean?" I asked, getting slightly frustrated.

Esme patted my knee before she stood up. "I'm afraid you know more than I do at this point, honey." She scanned all of us. "Now, if you're up to it, I would like to get you back to class. I don't want you all to get behind in your studies. As it is, I know at least three of you have missed a test."

Eve, Raven, and Emmett all looked down to their laps, scowling as the muttered under their breath.

Esme smiled fondly at the three, and then the rest of us. "So, scurry back to your dorms, freshen yourselves up, and head to class." With that, she left.

We all exchanged looks, everyone feeling a tad unsure and a little vulnerable.

**xxXxxXxxXxx**

Eve and I were mirrored reflections. Both of us were sitting on our beds, facing each other, leaning against the wall with our knees hugged to our chests. We both wore the identical frown; contemplative with a tinge of worry and nervousness. Both staring down at our bedspread.

We had been like this for a good ten minutes now, waiting for the last class before lunch to end. There was no point in going, as we were going to wait for lunch. I had thought about skipping that too, and I was sure Eve did as well, but decided I'd rather get this over with while having Eve and the others with me at the table. If I waited for class, I'd have to go through it alone, sitting by myself.

Yeah, no thanks.

Eve sighed, fiddling with the laces of her baby blue converse. That was the only colour she wore today, and I think it was so she could attempt to blend in with the others more. I went the same way, wearing black converse, pants, and blouse, with red suspenders because I just couldn't resist my suspenders, and the Dark Daughters cloak.

"Should we go now?" Eve asked, making me jump as she shattered the silence of the room.

My frown deepened. "I suppose we can't put it off any longer, can we?"

Eve shook her head slightly. "Nope."

There was more silence again.

"Ugh! What are we doing!" I shouted, jumping to my feet. Eve looked up with surprised, wide eyes. "We're acting like we've done some heinous crime or something! This is ridiculous! _We're_ ridiculous!" The corner of my mouth curved up into a smirk. "If this is really Nyx's doing, then we shouldn't be ashamed or nervous. We should be proud. Even if they judge us… it's not like _they_ can do what we can."

A slow smile started to pull at Eve's lips. "You're right."

"I am." I nodded.

"We shouldn't be scared."

"Not at all."

"We've got nothing to be scared of."

"Nothing."

"_They_ should be scared."

"Exactly… wait, what?"

"Scared of us! And Rosalie! They should be terrified!" Eve giggled, getting to her feet.

"Hold on, I don't think they should be _terrified_-"

"We've got nothing to worry about, and we'll show them that." She sang, looping her arm through mine and started pulling me out into the hall.

"Um, okay." I replied, letting her drag me down the stairs and out the door of the dorm. I suppose if this helped her ignore her fear, then…

People gasped and pointed as Eve marched us down to the dining hall. I found my shoulders slumping and my eyes glued to my feet, unable to follow my advice. At least Eve was. She pushed open the large oak doors and pulled me inside, grinning from ear to ear.

My smile seemed feeble in comparison.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" She asked rhetorically. "Much easier than I thought it would be, that's for sure. What about you?" She asked as we walked to the buffet line.

"Uh, yeah, sure." I mumbled, grabbing a tray. I caught a glimpse of blonde/honey hair up ahead in the line and picked up my tray, grabbing a few things from here. "I'll meet you at the table; I have to apologize to someone." I didn't wait for a response before hurrying past everyone in line, ignoring the whispers. "Jasper." I called.

He turned to look and see who had called his name, his warm brown eyes widening upon seeing me. "Bella?" He asked, blinking a few times. "What… you… and your Mark… How…?"

"It's a long story." I said, waving it off. "Listen, I just wanted to apologize."

"For what?" He asked, confused.

"I should have stuck up for you." I explained. "It doesn't matter that it wouldn't have helped the situation; what Rosalie said was rude and I should have defended you. I'm sorry I didn't."

A crooked smile and emerald green eyes appeared beside Jasper, and I watched with slight annoyance as Edward chuckled and pushed his bronze hair out of his eyes. "She really means it." He commented. "And she doesn't like me much."

That's because already I could tell he was a pompous ass, pretty boy.

He laughed. "Pretty boy, eh? Well I'll take that part as a compliment." He said with a wink.

A pompous ass, pretty boy who was an annoying mind reader.

Edward's eyes sparkled with amusement. He was officially enjoying this way too much. Jasper seemed highly amused as well "Thank you for apologizing, though it was hardly necessary. Alice told me the whole situation, and the best you could have done is what you did. She over reacts sometimes." I frowned and he placed a hand on my shoulder. "Really, Bella. She was probably more offended then me. But I do appreciate you apologizing to me."

"Alright." I said, nodding and smiling at him. "I guess I'll see you later then."

"Wait, Bella." Jasper called as I turned to leave, and stepped forward with Edward. "Alice feels a little… guilty for saying what she did. I think you should go see her sometime."

Biting my lip, I looked to my table and saw all the others eating and talking to one another. "Where-"

"In her dorm room." Edward replied before I even got the question out. Damn mind reader. "It was nice speaking with you, Bella." He said, sticking out his hand.

Grudgingly, I took it. "You too, Eddie Boy."

Edward's smirk fell and my eyes widened. Ah, _there's_ his button to push. Before he could say anything, I turned on my heel, setting down my tray on a near by table as I left the dining hall.

A few kids here and there on my way to the dorms turned to stare, but not much. Some of them were even polite enough to not stare and greet me, like Angela from class. I was hurrying to the dorm so much, though, that I failed to notice someone was on the sidewalk I turned onto and bumped into them.

Groaning, I blinked a few times and looked up into the face of a professor I had never seen before. She had long black hair that reflected the moonlight, sharp features, and eyes so dark they looked black from out here. Her Mark was filled in and the tattoos around it were those of a vamp who had no affinity. "Sorry!" I quickly apologized, taking the hand she outstretched towards me as she pulled me to my feet.

"Happens to all of us." She said, brushing me off as I adjusted my glasses. Her dark eyes took in my tattoos with interest and something else that was gone too quick for me to name. Her lips pulled up into a smirk, but it made me feel uneasy. "Ah, the Pyrokinetic. It's a pleasure to meet you; I'm Sulpicia." She said, still not letting go of my hand.

"Uhh, Bella. Nice to meet you too." I mumbled, slipping my hand out from hers. I shoved both of them into my pockets. "I gotta go, sorry about the run in though." I said, starting to back up.

"Wait!" She said, stepping forward. "Do you mind if I asked about your Markings?"

Shaking my head, I glanced over my shoulder towards the dorms. "I really don't have time, sorry."

When I looked back, she was glaring, but the glare was gone so quick that I might have been seeing things. All I knew was that this woman was seriously creeping me out. "Perhaps you could come by my classroom some time-"

"Yeah, maybe, I really have to go, bye!" I called over my shoulder and started jogging across the grass towards the dorms. Something in me was just screaming _run_. I'd have to ask about this professor sometime.

The dorm was fairly empty by the time I got in, only a couple of girls sitting around TVs, most of them in the dining hall. Tanya and Kate called out their greetings and I absently replied, taking the stairs two at a time. I once again was reminded how much I hated the fact that two people I knew lived on the top floor, and was almost panting by the time I reached the top. Seriously. I needed to go jogging more or something, this was just sad.

Alice was leaving her room right as I was about to knock, and jumped back. "Bella! You scared me!" She gasped, her hand over her heart. "What are you doing here?"

"I can come back, if you want." I said, realizing that I hadn't thought of anything to say on my way over.

She shook her head. "No, come on in."

Her room was nice, and very personalized. The only odd thing I noticed about it was the fact that the other bed was bare. "Don't you have a room mate?" I asked.

Alice shook her head. "No, but I prefer it that way."

"Why?" I asked, sitting down on the bare bed.

Alice shrugged her shoulders. "Well the only friends I have are boys, and I wouldn't want them sleeping in here with me because boys snore." She giggled and I smiled. "Mostly because I'm not on friendly terms with anyone else." She said.

"Why?" I asked again.

Alice bit her lip. "Because I always go and do something like I did yesterday. I'm sorry, Bella. You were right; I don't know you and I don't know-"

"_I'm_ sorry." I interrupted. "I should have stuck up for Jasper. Really. You were right."

Alice faltered. "What?"

"You're right and I was wrong and I should have stuck up for Jasper. I _will_ stick up for all you guys next time, because I'm not afraid of Rosalie. Well, I _am_ afraid of Rosalie, I think you're the only one who isn't, but that doesn't matter and I _will_ stick up for you guys next time despite my fears." I replied.

Alice giggled, shaking her head. "You're a goof, Bella. Did you know that?"

Furrowing my brow, I nodded. "Yes, actually. Eve likes to point it out multiple times a day, but I never seem to notice it myself. What's the definition for a goof anyways, because I-"

"You're rambling, Bella." Alice smiled.

"Oh, sorry." I bit my lip. We sat in silence for a few moments, though I knew she was internally laughing. At what, I still wasn't sure. "So," I sighed, breaking the silence. "Do you have a professor Sulpicia in any of your classes?" I asked.

Alice's face turned serious as she sat up. "No. Do you?" She asked. I shook my head and she sighed. "Good. Stay away from her, Bella. Okay? Just steer clear of her."

"Yeah, okay. But why?" I asked, nodding. I knew she was creepy, but I thought that was just me. If Alice thought so too, then maybe it was the professor.

But Alice just shook her head. "It's nothing. Nothing concrete at least. It's just…" She bit her lip. "Well, I seem to be the only one who notices that she is the last person who sees the kids who reject the Change for a lengthy amount of time. And then when they do start… rejecting the Change; she's right there, making them drink something." She ran a hand through her hair. "I asked Esme about it, but she just said that Sulpicia had a serum that makes them feel nothing, no pain as they… die. But that's just what she told Esme. How does Esme really know?"

My eyes were wide as I gaped at Alice. "Are you saying she's killing them?" I asked.

"Shhh!" Alice hissed, jumping onto the bed to cover my mouth. "Scream it to the world why don't you."

"Sorry." I whispered.

Alice nodded and sat beside me, running her hands through her hair again. "It's only a theory, and I haven't been able to convince anyone else. Not even Edward completely, the one guy who could tell me for sure. But he doesn't like invading people's privacy, and the one time he did it to her, he said she was just thinking about her lecture."

"I believe you." I said.

Alice turned to me with wide eyes. "Really? Or are you just saying that?"

Shaking my head, I explained. "Really. I bumped into her and she seemed real creepy, and something was telling me to run and that never happens." I said. "Did you get that feeling too?"

Alice frowned. "No. But… Elizabeth said she felt like… felt all… she said she just got this feeling like someone was hunting her and that she felt like she had to run away all the time." Alice said with worry in her eyes as she looked at me.

"And Elizabeth…?"

"Was the last to reject the Change."

Great. Terrific. Bloody brilliant.

"Have you told anyone this?" I asked. Probably not though, I mean, how could the professor still be here if Alice _had_ told anyone. Surely she would have been kicked out at the very least.

Alice shook her head. "No – are you crazy?" She asked, looking at me like I was, in fact, crazy. I shook my head. "That's exactly what they would ask if I _did_ tell anyone. They'd think I was insane or something."

"They wouldn't think you were _insane_, but they might ha-"

"No!" Alice said, her eyes wide. "They would. People think you're crazy at the drop of a hat, and then they would ship me back off to – I won't go back – I'm not crazy, I don't belong there…" Alice started hyperventilating.

Man, I couldn't even freaking apologize the right way. _This_ happens.

I really needed to work on my social skills.

"Alice, calm down. Alice." I called quietly, going to shake her shoulder. "Alice!" She still wouldn't stop though.

Alice grimaced, holding her cheek and slowly turned to look at me. "Ouch." She mumbled.

Bringing my stinging hand back down to my lap, I smiled sheepishly at her. "Sorry. It was the only thing I could think of that would snap you out of it. But you need to stay calm, because I'm really no good in these situations."

Alice nodded slowly, still rubbing her cheek. "Yeah, okay. Sorry."

The comment was waved off.

"It's just…" She began. "If I was to tell anyone, people would, uh,"

"Think you're crazy." I supplied.

Alice shuddered and nodded. "And I don't want that. At all." She took a deep breath. "But even if I do get over it and decide to tell anyone of my suspicions, well, my future disappears."

"And?" I asked.

Alice levelled a look at me. "The only time a person's future disappears is if they die."

My eyes widened. "Oh." I scratched my shoulder. "Well that's quite the predicament you've got." Alice snorted. "Okay, I'm not going to lie here; I'm feeling a little numb. This is all a lot to take in. Killer teachers, protective circles, weird tattoos… it's just a little much." I mumbled, holding my face in my hands.

Was there no such thing as breaks here at the House? No down time? Pit stops? Red lights? Nothing?

"I imagine that _would_ be a lot to deal with all at once." Alice agreed. "You want some advice?"

"Yes please." I groaned, laying back on the bed to stare up at the ceiling. Advice would be terrific right then, 'cause so far I had just been winging it and that didn't seem to be turning out too well.

Alice giggled. "Focus on your affinity." I turned my head to face her, raising an eyebrow. She smiled. "Seriously, just focus on your affinity and school work right now. It'll give you something to concentrate on and keep you busy so that you don't worry about every little thing. Plus, if I'm right; then you'll have gotten good at your affinity and can keep creeps like Sulpicia away from you." She shrugged her shoulders. "Besides, it looks like _some_one thinks your affinities are important." She said, gesturing to my tattoos.

"I thought," I sighed. "That perhaps it was just a coincidence."

"No such thing." Alice replied.

"No? You don't believe in coincidences?" I asked, sitting up again.

Alice shook her head. "Nope. Not after the life I've had. I'm fairly certain everything happens for a reason. Why do you think we met, other than to warn you about Sulpicia? You think _that_ was a coincidence?"

Shrugging my shoulders, I fiddled with my pocket. "Well I thought you saw me at the equestrians place and wanted to be friends or something."

Alice giggled again and I huffed, feeling the slight sting of rejection. Fine then, we don't have to be friends. "I'm sure we will be great friends, Bella, but I don't think that's the reason we met." Alice chimed.

Getting to my feet, I tried to stay calm but now I just felt like a fool. "So you're saying that if Sulpicia never intended on _hunting_ me or whatever it is that she does, then you and I wouldn't even know each other? Wouldn't be friends? You wouldn't have made an effort or even _looked_ at me twice?" Alice's smile slowly fell and she started shaking her head, going to apologize. But I already turned on my heel and stepped out the door, throwing her a glare over my shoulder. "If everything is _supposed_ to happen, then give me one damn good reason for Jacob being taken from me, Alice." I snarled, slamming the door shut behind me as I stormed down the hall.

**XXxXXxXX**

"Whoa, someone's in a terrible mood." Raven chirped, skipping up to my side. Classes were finally over and I was ready to go hide up in my room for the rest of forever.

But clearly Raven had other plans as she hooked her arm through mine and started steering us towards the dining hall. "Yes, and if you know what's good for you; you'll let go." I threatened, though it was weak.

Raven just grinned. "And if I know what's good for _you_, I'll offer my ears up for your story as we have some supper. We don't have to sit with the others if you don't want them hearing." She said.

Sighing, I shook my head. "No, thanks though. I just don't feel like talking about it right now." Or thinking about it. "But I _am_ hungry."

Raven nodded, smiling again. "Well you're in luck; it's steak night."

"Steak night?" I asked. What did that mean?

Raven nodded. "Yeah, steak night… where we have steak for supper… I'm a little worried Bella; that was awfully self explanatory." She joked, poking me in the side with a smirk.

Poking her back, I ran off to avoid retribution, laughing as she chased me to the dining hall. I threw open the doors and spun around inside, pushing them closed again on Raven who was cackling. And then I realized _why_ she was cackling, and froze. I was on the inside of the doors. Inside with all the others eating. Eating supper with a live show now.

My face was so red I thought I was going to have a nose bleed as I let in Raven who was still giggling. I didn't even look up as I followed her through the buffet line, and shrunk into the booth when we sat down. "I can't believe that just happened." I hissed at Raven.

"It was kind of funny." Eve giggled, tucking a lock of her long white hair behind her ear. "I would have never guessed you could get those doors closed as fast as you did." She laughed.

Cole and Emmett snickered while I glared at them.

Rosalie seemed uncomfortable and I looked at the others. They all shrugged and she sighed, shifting in her seat. "Normally I wouldn't stick around to hear what the midget says, let alone pass the message along, but she seemed especially serious." She said and I furrowed my brows.

"What?" I asked.

"Alice." Emmett supplied.

"Oh. And?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest as I frowned. Jeeze; why was it that Alice and I were constantly in a fight? Was this what Esme meant when she said it would be hard? It couldn't be because this time it was _me_ who was upset, though.

"She says she's sorry." Rosalie stated.

"That's it?" I asked, huffing to myself. She was just sorry? That was supposed to make it better?

Rosalie huffed as well. "No, but that's what was most important. You can go talk to her for the other stuff."

"Why can't you tell me?" I grumbled.

"Because I'm not some damn pigeon carrying messages between you two." Rosalie snapped.

I couldn't help myself. The thought came to me in the awkward silence that followed and I couldn't hold it in. "Well tell her that-"

Rosalie glared while the others snickered. "You think you're funny?"

"Well I amuse myself and that's all that matters, right?" I asked and Emmett started chuckling.

Rosalie's lip twitched. "I've heard funnier." She said quietly, getting back to her lunch.

The rest of lunch was spent pushing all the drama with Alice, all the freaky stuff with Sulpicia, all the weird things with the tattoos and circle, and all the stress, to the farthest reaches of my mind. And you know what? It helped. I was in a much better mood when not thinking about it all. I joked around with the others, minus Rosalie who was trying hard to stay indifferent to everything. After supper, we went down to the stables because Eve wanted to show me Adam, and I acted surprised even when Emmett nudged my side with a grin, and then Cole wanted to show us _his_ horse. It wasn't actually his, but he liked it the best, and he used it in his Equestrians' class.

Yeah, the boy drops out of Art to look all manly, but fusses over his pony in Equestrians class. Cole was an odd guy, that was for sure.

After that, we all went back to Emmett's room to watch a movie as the sun started rising. Raven produced snacks from _somewhere_ though she would tell no one her hiding place or how Esme didn't know about it. It was lucky that Emmett's room mate was bunking with _his_ friends, because we stayed up pretty late to watch all the Rocky movies. Emmett was appalled when I said I hadn't seen any and made us watch them, much to the displeasure of the rest of the group who all groaned.

So it was late…early…er… it was like one o'clock PM when we, the girls, decided to head back to our own dorm to get some sleep. "Wow." I breathed, looking at all the white snow covering the school grounds as we stepped out of the boys' dorm. It was sparkling like diamonds in the sun. "Wow!" I said a little louder when I realized this was the first time I had seen the sun in a couple of days. Eve and Raven laughed at me, running out into the snow.

"Come on, Bella. It doesn't burn." Eve called.

Rosalie shook her head when I looked to her. "It doesn't. As an adult vamp, it _will_ irritate you and hurt your eyes a little; you'll be more sensitive to it. But as a fledgling, and a _new_ one like you; it won't have any effect."

With a grin, I ran out into the sun, holding my arms up. It's warmth seeped through my clothes and I closed my eyes, sighing. Being from Forks, I was used to not seeing the sun often because of the constant rain, but at least I _did_ see it sometimes. Here, I probably wouldn't unless I stayed up late, and I didn't plan on making that a nightly thing. I was exhausted as it was.

But my refreshing, joyous feeling was cut short as the hairs on the back of my neck prickled. I got an uneasy feeling in my stomach, almost to the point of it feeling like a cramp, and my eyes shot open as I looked around. Someone was watching me. I could feel someone's gaze on me, and it wasn't any of the others'.

My eyes widened and my heart skipped a beat as that _run_ feeling hit me full force. It was like a mute voice, screaming in my head, chanting it over and over again; _run run run run run._ My hands trembled as I looked around and around, trying to find the eyes burning holes into me, but I couldn't. No one else was out there with us. No one.

"Do you guys feel that?" I asked, walking back over to them with stiff legs that were trying to just take off, running and never stopping.

"Feel what?" Eve asked.

Biting my lip, I looked around again. "Like someone is watching you."

Raven and Eve exchanged confused looks, shaking their heads. "Nope. Why, does it feel like someone is watching you?" Eve asked, looking around the school grounds as well, trying to find whoever it was. I was touched that she believed me and didn't just assume I was being paranoid like I knew Rosalie and possibly even Raven felt.

"Kind of, yeah." I said, which wasn't a lie. It just wasn't completely true. I _knew_ someone was watching me right now. It _wasn't_ just kind of; it was for sure. My mind flashed back to Alice's room and when she told me how that Elizabeth girl explained she felt. That was kind of similar. Being hunted… being watched… perhaps it went from being watched, and escalated to being hunted. "Let's just get inside." I murmured, shoving my hands into my pockets as I kept close to Eve.

The feeling never left, even when I hid under my covers.

**XxxXxxXxxX**

**fsdkjfhsdjnc**

**Freaky stuff. I sure as hell wouldn't want that feeling; it would drive me crazy. Besides, I'm paranoid enough as it is.**

**So, review, comment on what's happening to our favourites here, what you suspect is **_**going to**_** happen to them, and all that stuff. ^^**

**-Paige.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I also don't own the House of Night series or anything of theirs. Those belong to Stephanie Meyer, P.C and Kirsten Cast.**

**Rated: T.**

**Author: Paige Turner.**

**Summary: AU. 'I didn't know how or why; but this pixie looking girl was different than everyone else. Even the people at **_**this**_** school, at that was saying something.' A/B R&R!**

**BELLA**

"GET UP! LOOK OUTSIDE! LOOK AT THE SNOW!" Eve nearly screamed in my ear as she tackled me on my bed, wrestling the blankets away from my face as she grinned down at me. I stared up at the big white blur on top of me with wide eyes, wrapping my arms around myself. It was frigging cold! "Look!"

Before I had a chance to respond, Eve had me up on my feet, shivering, and pushed me to the window in our room, whipping back the curtain that was heavy and thick and kept the sunlight out of our rooms while we slept. Still shivering, I squinted at the nothingness I could see out the window. "What?" I asked sarcastically.

"Right… right out there! Can't you see? It's… oh!" She laughed sheepishly, pushing my glasses into my hands. "Sorry; I forgot."

"Don't worry." I smiled at her now clear face and looked outside, my eyes widening. "Well that's a lot of snow."

Eve rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but what _else_ do you see?" She asked, looking at me expectantly.

Groaning, I blinked a few times and then really looked outside. "I see snow, lots of snow…hmm… I see an enormous English Mastiff dog that could eat me up with one bite running around; I'm assuming that's Bear… I see Emmett chasing Bear around, trying to nail him with snow balls…" A smile pulled at my lips as I continued to watch. "I see Rosalie laughing at the two. Other kids running around making snow angels and snowmen, and just goofing off. Okay, fine! I take it back; there _are_ good things about winter and snow, Eve." I replied.

Eve grinned triumphantly, turning on her heel. "Told ya so."

"Yeah yeah." I mumbled, going to the wardrobe to grab a pair of pants, a red shirt, and black suspenders before rushing off to the showers at the end of the hall. Apparently I had slept in, and could only take a quick fifteen minute shower because of it. "You really look like an elf sometimes, you know that?" I asked as I breezed back into the room for my Dark Daughters cloak.

Eve was finishing getting ready, buttoning up her blue blouse. Her hair was up today though, in a bun with long black chop stick looking things poking out of the bun. Her bangs were too long to pull back into the bun as well though, without looking ridiculous, and it was seriously making her look like an elf. "Yeah, I know." She replied with a shrug. "Everyone's constantly telling me that, like they think maybe it's just them that see it."

"Oh. I though it might just be me." I replied, blushing.

Eve giggled. "No, silly. Look at me; I honestly look like an elf half the time; _no one_ misses that." She grinned, pointing to her face. "Especially now with the tattoos."

"Right." I muttered, following her down the stairs. Furrowing my brows, I looked at my reflection in one of the TVs that were off. "And what do you think _I_ look like?" I asked, curious.

Eve looked over her shoulder at me with a smirk. "You look like a Bella." I gave her a get real look. "Huh. Well, I don't know, you kind of look like a librarian."

"What?" I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest.

Eve smiled sheepishly at me again, grabbing an apple from the kitchen. I grabbed a pear. "Well, the glasses kind of make you look like one, not to mention the fact that you're _always_ carrying a book around." She said, giving the book in my arms a pointed look.

Scoffing and waving her off, I led the way out the dorm doors. "Ah, what do you know."

"Taste buds have a life span of ten days." She didn't miss a beat.

Raising my eye at the shorter girl, I waited for her to fall into step with me. "Excuse me?"

Eve had a cheeky grin. "Taste buds have a life span of ten days. That's what I know."

She kept smiling at me until I returned it and then she started giggling and I shook my head at her. "Heads up!" Emmett's voice boomed all around us. Eve grabbed my shoulder and made me duck with her, just in time for an onslaught of snowballs to fly over head

She was full out laughing now as we crouched in the middle of the sidewalk, waiting for the flying snowballs overhead to stop. It seems there was a fort on either side of the sidewalk, and they were waiting for the perfect cover to try and get at each other. "Wanna see something cool?" She whispered. I nodded furiously, interested in what she had in mind.

Eve closed her intense blue eyes, putting her bare hands on the ground and started to smile. I watched, with wide awestruck eyes, as actual ice started rising from the edge of the sidewalk on either side of us. Two tall ice walls were forming right before my eyes, all the way up until the snowballs started pelting them and Eve made us stand.

"Hey!" Cole's voice shouted. "Eve! We were winning!"

Ignoring the pouting boys, I marvelled at the ice wall in front of me with wonder. That… that was amazing! You… I… there were no words to even describe it. "Go ahead; you can touch it. It's a solid hunk of ice." Eve said, knocking on the wall I was facing. It _was_ solid!

Hesitantly, I lifted my hand up, hovering it a few inches away from the wall. My brows furrowed again as I looked closely, watching steam slowly rise from the wall. Biting my lip, I pressed my hand right up against the wall, my jaw dropping as a whole bunch of steam rose and sizzled as the ice turned to water, dripping down the rest of the wall steadily as my hand slowly melted through it. "Eve?" I asked.

Eve was also looking at my hand and the ice, where I was almost completely through now. "Huh. It's happening so much faster than it did for me." She murmured.

"What is?" I asked, pulling my hand back from the wall and the newly formed hole in it now. Water was dripping from my hand.

Eve bit her lip. "I'm cold. Like, really cold. I can hold a snowball for hours and it won't melt, nor would it be cold for me. My body temperature is, well, normally lethal, but in my case it isn't. I'm thinking that you're the same, only opposite. You must be really hot." Eve grabbed my hand, her eyebrows shooting up. "Yup. Feels like you've got a fierce super fever."

"Am I not burning you?" I asked, thinking of the steam.

Eve shook her head. "No, all fledglings and vamps aren't affected by temperature and things like that like humans would be. While ice and other stuff like that, including humans, would probably not be able to touch you for very long without being burnt or melted; we can. As long as you don't get hotter. We probably wouldn't be able to if you were channeling your element."

"This is weird." I murmured.

"Very." Eve agreed with a grin. "You should talk to Carlisle about it."

"Speaking of which," Raven chimed, skipping up to the both of us and hooking her arms through ours. She winked at my surprised face and started pulling us down the sidewalk. "I was sent to ask all you other guys if you're up to casting another circle at lunch today."

Eve scoffed. "After what happened last time? So soon?"

Raven shrugged. "Hey, I don't see anything bad coming from that. We've got cool tattoos, our circle is apparently a super shield or something,"

"He _thinks_." I added.

"And I don't know about you guys, but my affinity is all super boosted now." She finished.

"What?" Eve asked, looking back at the walls. "I thought that was just because I only just woke up."

"What are you talking about now?" I asked, hating how I was constantly out of the loop or couldn't keep up.

Raven grinned. "The channeling is taking way less time now than before; I don't even have to say anything out loud."

"Same." Eve said.

"So is that a yes?" Raven asked, her grin widening until it was taking up most of her face. Frowning, I hesitated to think it over.

Raven's grin continued to grow and she started wiggling her eyebrows at me. "Fine, only if you stop that!" I laughed. "That was really creepy!"

Raven cackled. "Ha! I knew it! I tried that on Rosalie and she didn't even blink; but I knew it was weird because Emmett looked scared."

Eve giggled, shaking her head. "You are so weird, Raven."

"Good weird though, right?" She smiled as we passed another group on the sidewalk.

"Mostly just weird-weird." I replied casually.

She stared at me for a moment before smiling again. "I'll take it."

The other two continued to talk on about this and that; complaining about homework and such, talking about the next Dark Daughters ritual, and a movie marathon again this weekend. I, however, was frozen and Raven started dragging me again.

There was that same feeling again. The one telling me to run. It made my heart race and my pulse beat harder, it made my breathing uneven, and had sweat forming on the back of my neck. My eyes shot up and around, looking for… I don't know; anything really. Something that stood out maybe, or someone watching us with … ugh, I don't know; _anything_.

There was nothing and no one though. All the people that were still outside were walking to class or goofing around in the snow or talking to one another. No one was staring or glaring or anything at me. And there was nothing unusual out. The statues of Nyx, the different buildings around the campus ground, the sidewalks, the lanterns. All of it was ordinary.

"Do… do you guys feel like someone is watching us?" I asked the other two, cutting off whatever Raven was saying.

They both paused in the middle of the sidewalk before looking around us. "I don't; no." Raven said, looking to Eve who shook her head. "You alright, Bella? Sleep enough last night?"

"Yeah." I mumbled, walking to class again.

Eve frowned. "Maybe that whole circle thing did something to you?" She asked.

"I don't think so." I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "I'll talk to you guys later though."

They nodded as we separated, heading to our own classes.

Class wasn't as…enjoyable, as other days after that. The feeling would come and go as it damn well pleased, which was beyond distracting, and any time I wasn't feeling it; all I could think about was it. It didn't make sense… and, well, it was pretty scary when you think about it. After what Alice said, that girl feeling the same way and then… I shuddered every time the thought entered my mind. Which was much too often for my liking. The worst part of it though, I thought, was that I couldn't talk to anyone about it. They'd think I was crazy, if they already didn't. Raven and Eve seemed concerned earlier that morning, but soon that worry might turn to annoyance. I mean, I guess I _could_ talk to someone… but I was still angry, not at Alice, but myself. I felt so stupid for my reaction. But I was also a coward through and through, so the chances of me going to her to apologize and talk were very slim.

Carlisle had given me a red candle. It was the end of class and he had stopped by my table; I thought it was because I hadn't been paying attention more than I thought and he noticed. That wasn't the reason though; he set a small red candle down on the desk in front of me and told me to start practicing The Dancing Flame and at my question mark of a face, he had explained. The Dancing Flame was the very first, er, ability that people who have an affinity for fire do. It's where you can light and put out the candle's wick without a match or lighter or any other source of flame. I had tried a couple of times before the end of class, having no success, and that's when Carlisle caught on to the fact that something was wrong. Affinities are tied to emotions or something like that, and if I was having trouble with this after the whole circle thing and lantern thing, then something was obviously upsetting me (really distracting but whatever; he didn't need to know that yet).

So then I spent the entire time in Art class, staring at the little wick, trying to light it. Eve and Raven let me sit off to the side, mostly because I was grouchy when I first got to class, and insisted that they could finish Cole's picture today. I was still surprised it only took Raven a day to do each mural piece. After half the class though, I gave up on the candle and shoved all that weird stuff to the very back of my mind, to go join those two. They were goofing off again and it looked like too much fun to pass up.

It was in gym when I finally settled down and really concentrated on lighting up that candle. I was sitting in the corner of the room in my sweat pants and tank top, glaring at the little red thing on the floor in front of me. "Please… _please_…" I Begged.

"With a cherry on top?" A southern drawl teased.

"Jasper!" My lips pulled into a giant grin as I felt a big wave of happiness wash over me. I jumped to my feet, nearly tackling the blonde boy in my excitement. "Thank you; you have no idea how much I needed that."

Jasper chuckled as I untangled myself from him. "I know; that's why I sent it. What's up?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at me and looking down to the candle.

Huffing, I plopped back down on the ground and he sat across from me, staring at the candle as well. "Homework, basically. I've got to light this thing without fire."

His eyebrows furrowed. "Tricky."

"Indeed." I agreed. "Supposedly it should be easy because apparently I've done it before and now this whole circle thing, blah, blah, blah." I grumbled, still sour about the subject a little bit.

Jasper laughed again, running a hand through his curly/wavy hair. "Well I can see why you're so frustrated now. If it's any consolation; your tattoos look cool." He joked.

Sighing, I cleaned my glasses with the hem of my shirt before looking down at my arms and palms, and the intricate swirls of flames. "Thanks." I murmured. "You should see Eve's though; they actually match her." Jasper looked at me curiously and I waved my hands at my face. "Red eyes and blue tattoos? It doesn't match."

"Ah. Well, I still think they're pretty cool." Jasper commented.

We sat in silence for a few moment. Jasper sent little waves of calm my way, I guess hoping I wouldn't know it was him though it was kind of obvious, while I stared at the stupid candle. Why? Why wouldn't it light for me now? Did the circle really mess me up? Did I break my affinity or something? _Can_ you break affinities? Feeling my frustration bubbling over once more, I ran my hands through my hair before pounding my fists on the floor on either side of the candle. "Light damn you!"

Jasper jumped slightly as the wick lit up with a brightly burning flame. My eyes widened as I sat back, looking at the burning candle with glee. A cackle broke free of my lips without my permission as I clapped, giggling like mad.

"Take that, you stupid candle! No broken affinities _here_!"

Jasper gave me a funny look. "You can't break affinities."

"Exactly."

Jasper smirked, shaking his head. "Alright miss big shot; make it go out now." He challenged, getting to his feet.

Faltering, I looked down at the candle, hesitating before waving my hand at it. The flame danced around in the little draft I created, but didn't go out. "The point here is that I can light it with just a thought, Jasper." I grumbled, grabbing the candle as I got to my feet as well.

"Right." He laughed. Kids began to put their things away and headed for the change rooms. Jasper paused before heading to the side of the gym where his change room was. "You want to join Edward, Alice, and myself for lunch today?"

Sputtering, I fumbled with the candle, still weirded out at how I wasn't burnt at all even when the flame touched my skin, and answered him. "Uh, actually I have previous engagements; we're trying another circle today."

The amused smile Jasper had at my display of klutziness fell slightly. "Oh, okay. See you later then, Bella."

"Tomorrow?" I asked, squeezing my eyes closed. Damn. Damn. Damn. Now I'd have to talk to Alice sometime.

Jasper turned back to look at me. "Tomorrow." He nodded. He chuckled on his way to the change room. "Really, Bella; you'll find we're not _that_ bad to hang around with. One might even go as far as to say we're fun." He said, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

"I didn't mean to make that face, I just… you guys…um…"

"You fought with Alice again." Jasper said knowingly. "How does that keep happening?" He asked, more to himself as he entered the change room than me.

"Beats me." I replied anyway.

Kids were rushing to their dorm rooms or to the dining hall when I stepped outside. It was colder today, or so they said, and no one wanted to be outside longer than they had to. I, however, was casually strolling across the grounds towards that training building or whatever Esme had called it the previous time. I was in no hurry, on account of what happened last time, and felt no need to speed up my pace. Plus, I was trying to give snow a chance, on Eve's request, and tried to enjoy it. It didn't help that whenever I bent over to scoop up a snow ball, it started melt like crazy.

The twin looking bodyguards were standing on either side of the doors as I arrived again. I offered a feeble, nervous smile at them both to which they each bowed their heads slightly. "Is… is everyone in there already?" I asked timidly.

One of the two gave me a nod and moved to open the door for me.

"Uh, thanks." I mumbled, quickly scurrying inside. "Hello?" I called to the dark room.

"Bella, glad you could make it. Truly, truly; honoured that you decided to grace us with your presence." Rosalie's voice bit through the darkness.

"Huh?"

"You certainly took your damn time, princess." She snapped.

"Rosalie." Esme reprimanded, though even her reprimanding voice was all nice and stuff. "Bella, could you be a dear and light up the lanterns?"

"A little practice run?" I asked with a sigh. "Fine; where are they?" I asked, feeling around for the nearest wall.

Carlisle's voice sounded closer than I thought he was and I jumped slightly. "All around the room. Just concentrate on lighting the wick."

"But I can't see the w-"

"Concentrate, Bella." He replied. "A wick. Just a plain old wick. Light it up."

Making a nonsensical grumble under my breath, I closed my eyes and pictured the candle from gym. I focused, picturing it lighting up, and cracked open one eye to look. Nada. Taking a deep breath, I tried again. Still nothing. There was nothing around me to bang on… slapping my hands together as I really focused, my eyes flew open as they were assaulted with light and I looked at the lanterns lining the walls of the room.

"Well done." Carlisle praised, patting my shoulder.

"Will I always have to do something with my hands?" I asked, looking down at them.

Carlisle shook his head as we walked over to the others. "Not always, no. Using hands is just an easier way; it gives you something physical and solid to focus on. It's like a crutch or training wheels; once you learn to do it without them, you won't need them anymore."

"Can we hurry this along? Some of us _do_ have things they want to do this lunch hour." Rosalie sighed, running a hand through her long blonde hair.

Raven, who was in the process of tying her hair up, quirked an eyebrow. "What's got your knickers in a knot?"

"Nothing." She hissed. "Some of us just have _lives_ unlike the rest of you."

Eve cocked her head to the side. "Got your monthly gift early this time?" She asked. I snorted along with the others, and even Esme and Carlisle cracked a smile when they saw Eve was being serious.

"No!" Rosalie nearly shrieked, a pink tint entering her cheeks. "I'm going to leave soon, Carlisle." She fumed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Alright, everyone settle down." Carlisle said in a stern voice, even if he still had traces of a smile left. "We're not doing much today; just casting the circle and seeing if my hypothesis is correct."

I flashed Eve a smile as I passed her to stand in my own little circle, noticing that this one was a new one, with no scorch marks. We had moved up to a bigger circle than last time, which would make it much easier for me to find since it's the, well, cleanest –for lack of a better term- spot of them all.

Raven cleared her throat, and bent over to touch the lit match to her purple candle's wick. All the stress and anxiety and everything from that morning seemed to be lifted from my shoulders, and I took a deep breath; a small smile settling on my lips.

Next was Rosalie who also seemed to be in a better mood as Raven approached her with the match stick. Rosalie held out her green candle as Raven touched the flaming match to the wick, stepping back with a smile. The scent of freshly cut grass and the woods right after it's rained wafted to my nose and had me taking another deep breath.

Cole was grinning from ear to ear as Raven stepped over to him. With a wink, he too, held out his grey candle to be lit by the match. The flame flickered about, burning grey for a second or two, before burning brightly; an orange and yellow. A big gust of wind blew through the room, playing with everyone's cloak and hair. With my own smile widening, I tucked a lock of hair behind my ear.

Eve gave Raven a very lopsided grin and Raven shook her head, chuckling under her breath. Raven touched the flame to Eve's blue candle wick and the smell of the ocean assaulted my nose; a nice mixture with the cut grass. If I closed my eyes, I was sure I could hear the waves crashing again.

And then all eyes were on me and Raven, as once again we came to the lighting of my own red candle. I gulped, hesitating before holding my candle up. Raven gave me a reassuring smile before moving the flame towards my wick; not having to bring it even close before mine burst into flame. I cracked one eye open, glancing around, and then opened both.

Everyone was staring at one another as we, or at least me, listened to the cackling of a fire, feeling the warmth of it on my face. The others, once they realized that nothing happened, started laughing and smiling.

"That wasn't so bad." Raven chimed, walking back over to the middle of the circle and her candle. "No pain at all."

Carlisle was standing close to the circle with Esme at his side. She looked slightly worried, though it was fading quickly as she too realized that nothing _was_ happening to us. At least, nothing bad. Carlisle raised his hand up, palm out. "I'm going to try something; let me know if you guys see anything or maybe hear anything."

We all glanced at each other and then nodded at him, watching closely. With his hand raised still, he started taking little steps towards us. He stopped abruptly and I shifted, blinking furiously. "Uh, I felt something." I murmured, uncertain.

Carlisle looked up with wide eyes. "What did you feel?"

"A sort of light pressure." Cole said and I looked over at him, nodding in agreement.

"Like a headache that isn't painful." Rosalie explained to them, furrowing her brows.

Eve and Raven nodded. "Someone poking on your brain." Raven said and Eve nodded, making a face.

Carlisle looked deep in thought. "I touched the barrier." He mused. "It feels like a solid wall I can't see, but you guys can feel."

"Is that bad?" Eve asked meekly.

Esme smiled. "Of course not, honey. You can all feel it, which means it's a part of you all."

"Shields are meant to protect, not hurt." Cole reassured her as well.

Carlisle cleared his throat, looking at us all curiously. "Can any of you move?"

All at once, we each took a step forward, smirking at our simultaneous reactions.

"Alright." Carlisle thought to himself. "Can you break the circle?"

Rosalie and Cole both took a few more steps to the middle of the circle but Raven shook her head. "Now it's just a misshapen, messed up circle. Still a circle though." She commented. She looked over her shoulder at Eve. "Walk past those two and break the circle while Carlisle pushes on the barrier."

Eve shrugged and strode forward, past the others. I watched as Carlisle fell forward when the barrier vanished. "Interesting."

"Isn't the circle still casted though?" I asked, looking at my burning candle.

Carlisle nodded, grabbing a pad of paper out of his pocket and a pencil. "Okay, that's enough for today. We'll pick up from here tomorrow, and hopefully I'll have more answers for you all." He said, nodding to each of us and pecking Esme on the cheek before leaving.

Raven went all around the circle, blowing out everyone's candle with a few murmured words. The others invited me for lunch with them, but I declined, waving them off as I grabbed my stuff.

Esme was hanging around, waiting for me clearly, and began walking with me as we left. There was a comfortable silence for a few minutes as we walked down the sidewalk until she cleared her throat. "May I offer my advice?" She asked.

With a tired sigh and smile, I nodded. "Please."

Esme smiled back, looking up to the stars as we continued down the sidewalk. "I think you should talk to Alice again."

"Yeah, I kind of figured I should." I muttered, shoving my hands into my pockets.

"If you share your story with her, I'm sure she would share hers with you. Perhaps then you will understand things more clearly." Esme replied with a knowing smile as she continued to look up at the stars.

What? Understand things more clearly? What does that mean? Understand what?

Everything here was so confusing and tiring and maddening!

"I don't-"

"Understand." Esme replied. "But you will."

"How do you know?" I shot back.

Esme ignored my tone, her smile never faltering. "Faith."

Rolling my eyes, I tried to buck up for Esme. Still, now that Raven was gone; it felt like someone tied a bunch of weights to my shoulders. Or turned up the gravity. "Not all of us have unshakable faith like you, Esme." I commented.

Esme turned us in a direction I had never been before, continuing down the sidewalk. "Hang in there, Bella. You two are meant to be, I know it."

Scoffing, I shook my head as I looked at my feet. "Meant to be what, friends or enemies?" 'Cause at this point, I couldn't tell.

"Neither." Esme chirped.

Neither? "Nei – that doesn't even make any sense! What are we supposed to be then?" I exclaimed, pulling on my hair. "I'm going to lose my mind before the Change is complete, Esme!"

Laughter started flowing from her and I was about ready to throw a tantrum at her, High Priestess or not, until my own lips tilted up into a smile. Okay, so maybe I _was_ a little moody. Taking things too seriously, or rather, not letting them go. It wasn't that bad when you think about it; my affinity would get better with practice. My sleeping patterns would adapt. _I_ would adapt. Maybe if I just sat down and had a normal conversation with Alice; we wouldn't always end up fighting. And then I could talk to her about that weird feeling.

Esme's smile was bright as we stopped outside another building. "Feel better?"

I nodded furiously. "Yes. Thank you, Esme."

"You're welcome, Bella." She replied, patting my shoulder with another smile before turning to leave.

Furrowing my brows, I was about to ask her where she was going, when a voice broke through my thoughts. It was high and smooth, sounding like wind chimes, singing like bells.

"_Something's missing in me."_

My curiosity getting the better of me, and wanting to hear that voice more, I pushed open the large oak doors and stepped inside. This building was like any of the others with classes in them; stone hallways, windows, staircases, classrooms, etc. And noticing that whoever was singing wasn't on this floor, I took to the first stone staircase and slowly made my way up.

Passing the second floor, I nervously cleaned my glasses on my cloak, sliding them back onto my face. It was the third floor that the singing got louder, and I stepped off the staircase into a hallway. This one didn't have nearly as many doors into classrooms, only three it looked. Fiddling with one of the straps on my suspenders, I tiptoed down the hallway. The first classroom, which was a violin band room it looked like, was empty. The next one was empty as well, and had drums, guitars, and more modern day, electric instruments. The very last one had things like pianos and organs, xylophones, and other things like that in it.

And at one of the very middle pianos, sat Alice.

She was belting out a song, furiously tapping away at keys to keep up with the tempo of her voice, her eyes closed in concentration. Her cheeks were turning pink from all the long notes she was singing, along with the really high ones, and her silky black hair was bouncing around as she danced along to the song. I would have felt like a fool, rocking out on a piano like that, but she seemed to make it work somehow. Perhaps because of the confidence.

As quietly as I could, I made my way to another piano in the back of the room, sitting down at it. I was suddenly glad that Renee had made me take lessons when I was little. At the time, I was furious and thought it was pointless. I had sucked big time and figured I'd never be able to play well, but Renee kept making me practice '_always, always, always, Bella.'_

As it was, she was right. Practice does make perfect, or rather, makes you better. I was nowhere near perfect, but I certainly got better at it with time.

So, positioning my hands above the keys, I started tapping away to the song she was singing. I didn't know which one it was, and that made it much more difficult, but it still sounded good with the second piano.

All too soon, though, Alice stopped playing, breathing deeply. "Good afternoon, Bella." She commented quietly, her voice rough and scratchy from all the use.

Furrowing my brows, I stood up once more and walked over to the middle of the room and the opposite side of the piano from her. "How did you know it was me?"

Alice shrugged one of her shoulders, tapping a couple of keys before looking up at me with those unique golden eyes. "I saw this."

Saw this? Oh. "Right. Your affinity."

Alice nodded, closing the book of notes and such in front of her. She regarded me curiously as she shook her bangs out of her eyes. "However, that was all I saw. Was there something you needed?"

"Uh, no. Not really." I mumbled, fiddling with my glasses. "I just, er, I wanted to apologize. About the other day. To you." I sputtered, clearing my throat.

"No, I should apologize. I didn't mean to offend you or anything, and looking back on it; what I said _was_ offensive, I'm-"

I waved her comment off. "Seriously; this was my fault this time. Again. I overreacted and freaked out for no good reason. I'm s-"

Alice pushed her hands down on a bunch of keys at once, creating a big noise that covered up my apology. "We really need to stop saying that; it's getting repetitive." She smirked at the face I was no doubt making.

Nodding furiously, I scratched the back of my neck. "I know what you mean."

"Friends?" She asked.

"Not according to Esme." I muttered, shaking my head at her lifted eyebrow. "'Course."

"Well then you won't mind grabbing something to eat with me, then? I'm starving." She giggled, skipping over to me as she tucked her books under her arm.

"Why didn't you go to lunch then?" I asked, following her back down the hallway.

She looked up at me with a face. "I had to wait for you."

"Oh?" I said, though it came out more like a question because I seriously wasn't following.

Alice flashed me a smile over her shoulder as she started descending the stairs. "I saw that meeting up there, so I knew I couldn't go to lunch or I'd miss it, and now I'm hungry."

"Right." I muttered, stuffing my hands into my pockets.

Alice nodded and we walked on down the sidewalk in silence for a while. A comfortable silence though, and I was shocked that I had yet to come upon an _un_comfortable one. I usually tended to make them like that. Alice glanced up at me once more as we passed a dying lantern. "Why were you carrying that candle around all day?" I lifted an eyebrow. "I saw you in passing and usually you were glaring at the thing."

Blushing, I looked away from her amused eyes. "I was trying to light it without a match. It's called the Dancing Flame or something like that."

Don't think it's lame, don't think it's lame, don't think it's lame…

"Cool!" Alice exclaimed, her eyes big with wonder as she grabbed my arm. "Can you do it? Can you do other stuff? What _can_ you do?" She asked, excited.

"Uhh." I felt another smile tugging at my lips and shrugged my shoulders. "I _can_, but I need to do something with my hands for it to work, like training wheels. I-I'm not sure what else I can do; I haven't tried anything but that yet." I replied and she nodded, deep in thought. "Oh! I _did_ flick a flame to the floor yesterday!" I grinned, proud of myself.

Biting her lip, Alice stopped by a lantern, reaching up on her tiptoes to unhook it from the pole. She walked back over to me, grinning from ear to ear much like Cole had earlier. "Can you light this again?"

And enter stage fright.

"I…er, I don't know if I should or not." I said, a sorry excuse of…well, of an excuse.

Alice rolled her eyes with a playful smile. "Come on, Bella. Live a little. Besides;" She smirked. "The only way you're ever going to get better is by practicing."

My eyes whipped up to hers.

Was _she_ the mind reader as well?

"Okay, fine." I sighed, rolling my shoulders and shaking my arms loose. "Alright…okay…" Taking a deep breath and seriously focusing on not screwing up and actually lighting the dang thing, I tapped the top of the lantern, holding my breath.

"Awesome!" Alice chimed and I opened my eyes to see her staring at the lit lantern. Her grin, if possible, got even wider when she looked back up at me. "That was really cool; I'm not even going to lie."

"Thanks." I replied, feeling some of the weights being lifted.

**XXxxXXxxXX**

**Welp.**

**Yeah, So I kind of lied to a few of you who messaged me. **_**This**_** one is the next one to be updated, evidently, and not Instinct. I thought it was the other way around, because I thought I had half of Instinct done, but it turned out quite the opposite.**

**Anyways, review please. Tell me what you think about what's happening. What you want to happen. Yada yada yada, etc. ^^**

**-Paige.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I also don't own the House of Night series or anything of theirs. Those belong to Stephanie Meyer, and P.C and Kirsten Cast.**

**Rated: T.**

**Author: Paige Turner.**

**Summary: AU. 'I didn't know how or why; but this pixie looking girl was different than everyone else. Even the people at **_**this**_** school, and that was saying something.' A/B R&R!**

**BELLA**

Kids cheered and laughed, yelling over one another. Some were making bets, trying to predict the winner, while others were encouraging the one they bet on. There were even a few who had taken to throwing insults –playful ones so far- at the opposing person. And it seemed like everyone was there; they had all long ago abandoned their dinners to stand in a circle around us so they could see, some of the shorter kids, like Alice mainly, were standing on their tables to see over the larger ones, like Emmett.

Grunting, I shifted my feet and tried to ignore the sweat that was starting to get in my eyes. Out of the corner of one, I could see Alice farther back away from the circle, up on her table and sitting in a chair on top of it, with both Edward and Jasper sitting on the table beside her, swinging their legs with matching grins. The little imp sitting in the chair flashed me a smile and a wink. She wouldn't tell me who would win this, even though I _knew_ she knew.

"Where's the fun in telling, Bella?" She laughed before going off to find a good seat.

Eve bit her lip, blinking furiously. "Had enough yet?" She asked, her voice strained.

"Not even close." I huffed back.

See, the thing was, it had been a couple weeks since I had mastered the Dancing Flame, and I had started developing my affinity more. Manipulating the flame was still tricky and I couldn't do that very well, but everything else was a cake walk. Mostly. So today entering the dining hall, I offhandedly mentioned how good I was getting when Eve laughed at me. The previous night, I may or may not have almost lit the dorm room on fire. It was taken care of before it got that bad though!

Anyways, since she laughed I told her that me and my affinity could beat her and her affinity any day. And thus the challenge was set; Emmett coming up with the perfect way to see who was better. And, well, Emmett being Emmett also started a pool bet that got all the kids in on it.

The rules were simple. The first one to give up and say they had enough heat or cold, lost.

So, ten minutes later, Eve and I were standing in the middle of the dining hall, facing each other, with our palms out and pressed against one another, trying to force our element on the other. I had taken off my blouse and decided to do this in just my under shirt tank top, seeing as fire is friggin' hot, and I didn't want to accidentally wreck a perfectly good, brand new shirt. It was a good thing though, because I was sweating like a pig. I could feel the tank top clinging to me, and my hair was starting to get plastered to the back of my neck and my forehead. So there was the sweat that would have wrecked my shirt, or, you know, the fact that flames kept appearing and licking at my arms. I had been full out channelling my affinity for a good while now, and little orange flames would appear here and there; scorched my tank top, and my pants a few times. Every time one popped up, the rest of the kids got a kick out of it.

Eve was much in the same boat as me. Just, well, the opposite, Her long, white hair was up in a fancy bun with chop sticks sticking out of it, her bangs hanging down below her chin, styled off to the side. And if you looked really closely, you could see frost starting to collect on said bangs and her cheeks. Her skin seemed even paler than normal, her lips and finger tips were a very light blue, too. There was also a light, very light and thin, sheet of ice covering her skin. You could see it catch the light sometimes. And her general body heat, or was it mine because she really didn't have any when channelling her element?, was visible around her, like a person's breath when they step outside in the winter.

"Damn, my fingers are numb." I murmured, laughing lightly and shook my head. This was a little ridiculous.

Eve nodded and I could hear some of that thin ice break. "I know, it feels like I'm sticking my hands in a pot of boiling water."

"You give?" I inquired with a raised eyebrow, hoping with everything I had that she was.

But of course she wasn't; Eve didn't quit anything. "Not at all."

"Well that puts us in a bit of a predicament, doesn't it? I don't think either of us is going to win this thing, to tell you the truth, man." I replied with a frown. "Friggin' Alice knew too." I growled under my breath. Eve had a little twinkle of mischief in her eye and a smirk playing at her lips. I scowled at her. "Oh, don't start that either."

"What? I'm just saying is all… But you _do_ talk about her a lot." She giggled quietly.

"So? She's my friend. I talk about you a lot too."

Rolling her intense blue eyes, Eve gave me a get real look. "Yeah, but you don't constantly stare at me, or stutter over your words if I smile at you, nor do you get all flustered if I hold your hand. Not that I hold your hand."

My face was red already from being flushed because of the heat and I was thankful for that, because I knew I would have been blushing as my eyes widened. "I do _not_ stare." I whispered fiercely.

Eve lifted a sceptical eyebrow. "What colour are her ear rings today?"

"Emerald green – damn." I looked away with a glare. "That doesn't mean anything – I don't stare… I just… pay attention to detail."

Eve shook her head with an amused smile. "I don't know why you're making such a big deal out of this. I, personally, think it's great. She's free, you're free, you both get along great…well, when you're not fighting or arguing."

"To reply to that would be admitting that I have those feelings you're implying, which I _don't_, so I won't dignify that with a response." I huffed, sticking my chin in the air.

"Technically you _did_ respond to it."

"… Yeah, but not in a way that would insinuate my feelings."

"Your _words_ might not insinuate anything but your _actions_ do, and you know what they say..."

"My actions aren't saying I have feelings for her, Eve."

"They kind of are."

"Are not!"

"Are too."

"Are not!"

"Are too."

"Are _not_!"

"Are t-"

"I don't have those feelings for-" I had ripped my hands away from hers so that I could cross my arms over my chest and glare at her, without thinking while I shouted at her. But soon froze when I realized that there was still a dining hall full of kids watching us.

"I win!" Eve giggled, holding her hands up high as she grinned at me.

My jaw dropped… "You…little…_dirt ball_!" She-she-she just… all so I would… and now she _won_! "You cheater!"

Eve was still laughing as Emmett scooped her up with a victorious grin on his face, having bet on her. "I still win." She laughed. She gave me a thoughtful look then. "You know, I only said all of that to get you excited and have this happen so I could win, but now… I think I might have been right. You _do_ have them, don't you?"

Luckily, before I had to answer, she was swept away by the crowd of cheering kids who had bet on her while the ones who had bet on me were all scowling and paying up. I grinned at Angela who was digging a ten out of her pocket. "Sorry about that."

She just shook her head with a smile. "Should have bet on Eve anyways, after last Christmas especially."

With a laugh, I scooped up my blouse and dark daughters cloak, and then left the dining hall. I needed a shower badly now, after all of that. The cool night breeze was welcome on my over heated skin when I stepped out the doors, closing my eyes. And when someone stepped up beside me, I didn't even have to open my eyes to know who it was; there was only one person who brought that cloud of calm with them. "Hey there, Cowboy." I smiled.

"Don't you 'hey there, Cowboy' me. You cost me twenty bucks with your little stunt back there. I thought for sure you were going to win." Jasper's southern drawl filled the night, though I could hear the smile in his voice.

There was another amused sigh. "I told you betting is wrong, Jazz." Alice chimed.

A smile pulled at my lips as I watched Edward and Alice leave the dining hall and walk up to us as well. Jasper frowned, running a hand through his golden/blonde hair. "Yeah, it's wrong. You didn't tell me I'd lose."

"I thought this would be a perfect lesson." She smirked.

Well then, memo to self; never bet against Alice.

"A wise idea." Edward nodded with a smile of his own. I rolled my eyes at his annoying, telepathic ways. He held up his hands, but the giant grin on his face kept me from feeling any sympathy towards him. "I can't turn this off, Bella. It's as much of a curse as it is a gift."

"You know what else is a gift? My foot in your a-"

"Come now, children, don't fight in front of mommy and daddy." Alice laughed, shaking her head as she began dancing off towards the girls' dorm, where I was heading, with a chuckling Jasper. Edward and I huffed, following dejectedly after them. That was Alice and Jasper's ongoing joke, because Edward and I fought. A lot. Like bickering siblings.

But what can you do? He's got an annoying affinity and I've got a lack of patience.

**XXxxXXxxXX**

"So what's the plan for tonight?" Eve asked, tucking a lock of her white hair behind her ear.

"Not sure yet. Alice said that her and the guys were heading out to see a movie and invited me. I might tag along there."

Eve's eyes brightened as she perked up. "Movies? What movie?" She asked, setting down her notebook on the bed beside her. It was finally the weekend again and both of us had decided to get a head start on our homework. That lasted for maybe an hour before we got bored, and I had started texting Alice and Jasper forty minutes ago. "You know, _I_ like movies. I'm a big fan of them movies, actually. And I have a knack for picking the good ones to go see."

"Well subtlety certainly isn't your strong suit, is it?" I smirked, looking up from my phone.

"Not so much."

"Fine, I'll ask if you can come. They'll probably say yes, it's kind of impossible to deny you stuff when you pull that face of yours." She had this face she put on whenever she wanted something, almost as strong as an Alice Pout, I had come to realize. Her eyes would get big and widen full of so much happiness and excitement it was almost painful to look at as a grin would stretch across her face. No one yet had dared to pop that bubble; not even Rosalie.

Like I said, almost as strong as an Alice Pout.

She beamed, giggling like mad. "Thank you! You know, I saw some trailers for a movie called Sucker Punch, I think we should go see that."

"Is it still in the theatres? That was a while ago now." I murmured.

She shrugged. "We should check, because it looked good." I nodded in agreement.

Eve started talking about all kinds of movies that she knew for sure were still out in theatres while we got ready. She didn't even pause for a breath when she had to crawl under her bed for her other shoe to see if it would go with what she wanted to wear.

"Oh! Have you seen the trailers for Paul?" She asked from the bathroom attached to our room, the door cracked open while she changed.

My brows furrowed as I sorted through my memories, pulling up my jeans and quickly doing the button. "Again, that was a while ago. I don't know if it's still in the theatres."

"Still looked good." She muttered, huffing to herself.

Grinning, I pulled on a long sleeved white shirt with a green T shirt over top, and scrunched the sleeves to my elbows. "Besides, I'm really not the one to ask. Alice and the guys are, since it's their trip. I'm just tagging along."

"You're a real drag sometimes, Bella." Eve said in an overly sweet voice as she emerged from the bathroom again. She was also in a pair of jeans, with a yellow T shirt, and a grey zip up hoodie. It was weird though, looking at her without her Mark or the tattooing with it. I wondered how weird I'd look without mine after I covered them up.

Like she was reading my mind, Eve grinned and held out the open jar of mega cover up. "Think human thoughts." She giggled.

"Har har." A thought occurred to me though, as I was finishing up covering the crescent moon and checking to make sure I got everything else. "What am I going to do about my eyes?" They were a vibrant, crimson red. The colour of fresh blood almost. How the hell was I supposed to hide those?

Poking her head into the bathroom, Eve smiled and handed me a pair of reflective aviators. "There."

"Oh?" I raised my eyebrow. "And you plan on being my seeing eye dog?"

That had her faltering. Eve bit her lip, quickly pulling her hair up into a high pony tail. "Well, I'll hold your hand and you can put them on when we're passing people in the movie theatre lobby and stuff, and then switch back to your glasses while actually watching the movie. It'd be too dark for any humans to notice."

Sighing, I nodded and went to go slip on my converse again. "Lucky blue eyes…" I muttered, ignoring her giggles again. We quickly grabbed coats, mostly for appearance sake, hers black wool and mine black leather, before we raced up the stairs again to Alice's room.

"Come in, guys." Alice called before we could knock. Even grinned as she followed me into the room. "And yes, you can come too, Eve."

Snorting, I fell back onto the bare bed next to Jasper who was listening to his iPod. "Well, you probably already know what we're going to see too."

Alice's unique golden eyes lost focus and shifted back and forth for a second before she smiled and looked back at me. "Yup, and it will be good." Her head cocked to the side, though. "Do you not have contacts as well?"

"Nah," I shook my head. "I've got a weird eye thing. I just… the thought of touching an eye or touching even my own…" I shuddered. "Gross."

Her red lips pulled up into a smile as she pulled the comb through her hair again, turning back to her vanity. "Good to know."

My fingers twitched as I watched the comb pass through those silky black spikes. An amused snort from the other side of the room had me pulling my gaze from Alice to Edward who was staring at me. "Now _that's_ good to know." He laughed.

What on earth was he…oh god… GET OUT OF MY HEAD!

Edward just started laughing harder as my face went beat red, his emerald eyes crinkling at the side. Jasper cracked a smile, sitting up to look around at what was happening. "Why are you embarrassing the poor girl?" He asked.

I glared at Edward with all I had and he grinned that crooked smile of his, holding his hands up. "Hey, I'm merciful. I won't tell, I promise."

"I'm confused." Eve murmured and Alice nodded, furrowing her brows. I fought hard to not look at either of them, keeping my glare on Edward. Man, did I hate his affinity sometimes.

"I rather like it, actually." Edward replied, chuckling again as I huffed and looked away.

He continued staring at me with that amused smile of his until a thought came to mind and he faltered. "You know, Eddie Boy, I'm…fairly certain that I could light your hair on fire while keeping it from burning you. So, I'd watch your step or one day you might wake up bald."

An explosion of laughter came from Jasper, surprisingly enough, as he grinned over at Edward who was trying to decide if I was joking or not. Even with his little gift there, he couldn't tell, because even _I_ wasn't sure if I was joking. You push me far enough…bad things happen. My own grin widened as Edward nervously ran a hand through his hair. "Don't worry, Ed, I'll still love you even when you're bald." Jasper chuckled, shaking his head.

"Alright, let's get going before more threats are issued and a fire actually _does _get started in my room." Alice said, getting up and grabbing a light sweater that she pulled on. "We're taking my car."

The car ride was short, everyone murmuring about movies they wanted to see, ones that had, if they were good or if they sucked. There was one point where I might have screamed a tiny little bit, with Alice's driving. She was trying to pass someone but there really wasn't time to do so. Alice, however, disagreed and sped up. We _just barely_ made it in time, and I swear the side mirrors on both cars touched. Alice, being Alice, just looked over at me an giggled, continuing on.

And just like that we were parked and getting out of the car. A few people, teenagers, looked over our way. Sure, we didn't burn up in the sun or anything else that obvious, like sparkling or anything, but we _were_ different. If they got close enough, they'd see the fangs. But there were other things that you could spot from a difference. Like the fact that our hair was longer, thicker, healthier, along with our skin. We were vibrant, super natural vampyres. You could tell. Plus, no matter how dull and watered down they were, humans still had instincts. Instincts that told them who was the predator and who was the prey.

We ignored them though and I sighed, putting my glasses in my pocket, the world turning fuzzy and blurry, all distorted. "Goodbye vision, my old friend. Until we meet again."

Eve giggled, handing me the shades and she grabbed my hand, swinging it back and forth. "You're very dramatic, Bella, you know that."

"_No_, I had _no_ idea that I was d-gah!" I stumbled forward, tripping over who knew what, until another pair of arms caught me. "Two seconds in and you already almost let me die!" I squealed, squinting to try and find her shape so I could direct my glare at it.

"You wouldn't have _died_, Bella." Alice said, right by my ear. She must have caught me. "You _are_ dramatic." I could feel her breath on my neck and I shivered, trying to slow my heart down because I knew she'd be able to hear it.

"Th-thanks." I replied, straightening up. Another hand slid into mine, but it was much smaller and warmer than Eve's, so it had to be Alice's. Not only that, but she also intwined our fingers which she always did whenever she held my hand, which was a lot. She was a very touchy-feely person. Edward started chuckling again behind us and I glared over my shoulder, knowing he'd know it was for him.

I didn't know what movie we were seeing, because I wasn't paying attention while Jasper bought the tickets. I was too busy trying to deduce whether or not it was a person or a cut out cardboard replica of a person standing a few feet away and staring at me. They weren't moving in the slightest…but sometimes there are people who hardly move… I didn't have time to dwell on it though, because soon Alice was tugging me towards the concession stand, asking what I wanted.

"Fuzzy Peaches." Alice and I chimed at the same time. My brows furrowed as I briefly wondered if she was pulling that prank she liked to do. She'd start saying everything you were going to say at the exact same time randomly, and, well, it was freaky. She enjoyed it like mad though, so I would indulge her and think of incredibly weird things to say and she'd laugh. "Oh, they're your favourite too?" She asked me curiously.

"Yup." I replied, popping the P. "They're really the only thing I eat when going to the movies."

"Same." Alice agreed. "The popcorn isn't always done right, and everything else just doesn't measure up."

"Precisely."

Edward, Jasper, and Eve groaned as we entered the actual movie screen area of the movie theatre. "What?" I asked, lifting the shades to the top of my head and slipping on my glasses. "Oh." The movie theatre was _packed._ Like, seriously full. I don't even think there were any free seats…

"There!" Eve said, her finger pointing off to the very back seats by the isle. "Oh, well, there's four at least."

Edward turned to Jasper with a smirk. "I could always sit on your lap." He offered, wiggling his eyebrows.

Jasper, surprisingly, did not continue to flirt. He frowned, shifting. "Well, normally I would say hell yeah, but I kind of want to see this movie and you're very big. I won't be able to see around you."

Edward opened his mouth with another smirk, but I cut him off, holding up my hand. "Save the dirty remarks about how 'big' you are. Nobody but Jasper wants to know what you've got going on down below, man." He pouted, looking at me with big eyes. I silently shook my head and he sighed in defeat.

"Come on, the movie's starting." Alice whispered, ushering us over to the seats, and proceeded to sit in _my_ lap. My eyes bulged as I froze, trying to hold very still as she leaned back to get more comfortable. She looked up at me with a sheepish smile, keeping her voice low as the movie began. "Can you see?"

"Y…" I cleared my throat and nodded furiously. "Yeah. Are you, um, comfortable?" I squeaked.

"Very." She grinned, cuddling farther back into me as my heart hammered a mile a minute and I tried to keep my thoughts as light as possible so I couldn't give Edward more ammunition.

By the time the opening credits had finished, I had relaxed into the seat more, feeling bold enough in the dark movie theatre to wrap my arm around the petite pixie sitting on me. She hummed happily as the corner of her mouth lifted, but otherwise paid attention to the movie.

**XXxxxxXXxxXX**

**That's all I've got for this one for now, guys. I'm going to try and get at least **_**something**_** done for most of my other stories. I'm trying to go back to these old ones, and older ones, and update them. They might not be as long, detailed, or as good as before, but it will give you plot. Or, in this case, fluff. ^^**

**Review. Leave recommendations. What do you want to happen? What do you think will happen? Should I have more interaction between different characters? Should I delve further into a Vampyre Sociology 101 class? Let me know!**

**-Paige.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I also don't own the House of Night series or anything of theirs. Those belong to Stephanie Meyer, and P.C and Kirsten Cast.**

**Rated: T.**

**Author: Paige Turner.**

**Summary: AU. 'I didn't know how or why; but this pixie looking girl was different than everyone else. Even the people at **_**this**_** school, and that was saying something.' A/B R&R!**

**BELLA**

"Eve, if you do not get off of me in the next two seconds, I will light you on fire." I growled, holding my pillow over my face. Honestly, I had an alarm clock for a reason; I didn't need her jumping on my bed, shaking me, staring at me, and all the other things she did to wake me up. Was this what it was like to have a sibling? It was at early hours like these that I was glad I was an only child.

A giggle sounded above me and my brows furrowed. I knew that giggle and it wasn't Eve's… "You know, you rely on your affinity too much, Bella. What happens when the day comes and you have to defend yourself without it?" A tinkling voice asked.

My eyes widened under the pillow as I froze, keeping my heartbeat in check. This was not Eve above me. This was Alice. Alice waking me up. Alice sitting on me -straddling really- to wake me up. On my bed. _Alice._ My hand slipped out from under the blankets and to the bedside table, grabbing my glasses to put on before I pulled the pillow off my face. Alice was beaming, smiling that one hundred watt smile; dimples, fangs, and all, at me. Her ink black hair was arranged in chaos still today. I wondered what she used to do that, because gel would have made it crunchy or at least greasy, while Alice's hair always looked, and I assumed felt, silky. Her unique golden eyes, with brighter honey gold specs in them, were staring at me, full of chipper happiness and affection. Her pale, blemish free skin looked like porcelain, and her sapphire blue outline of a crescent moon looked like it was painted on.

"H-Hi." I whispered.

Her smile turned sweeter. "Good morning, Bella. How did you sleep?"

"Er, good. Thanks. You?" I asked.

Conversing while her sitting on me still was proving to be difficult because of my lack of brain activity.

"I slept very well, thank you." She nodded.

We continued to look at one another until I broke and looked away, my eyes darting around the room. Eve was nowhere to be seen, and thankfully neither were any dirty clothes or a big mess. My eyes slowly returned to her golden ones after a few moments. "So… what's up?"

"Oh." She giggled, rolling her eyes and getting up. "Right, Eve had to stay up late studying for a test and sent me a text asking if I could wake you up early today because she didn't think she'd be able to wake up. Which is true, because she fell asleep downstairs on the couch with a History book in her lap." She laughed.

My tired brain was trying to keep up as I watched her dance around the room to my wardrobe and start pulling things out. "Huh?"

She grabbed a pair of black dress pants, black chucks, and a belt, tossing them onto the bed. "Someone will be here soon to pick you up. At least, that's what Eve told me. She didn't elaborate, but just asked me to make sure you were up and dressed. It sounded important."

Alice walked over to the window in the room, drawing back the heavy dark curtains. I grumbled, shielding my eyes at the onslaught of sunlight that entered the room. But it sparked a memory and I jumped out of bed. "Crap, right! Leah will be here any minute." I growled, looking at the clock on the wall.

It was the seventeenth. Three years since…Jake's accident. She was going to give me a ride since I was all the way out here. Leah had moved shortly after the accident; everything in La Push reminded her of her deceased boyfriend, my best friend, and so she moved away. Coincidently, she lived in one of the smaller cities just an hour or so away from here. La Push would be another two hour car drive for us, but going with her beat taking a bus and such.

Alice was staring at me with a frown until I looked over at her and she quickly looked away, her features smoothing out. "Leah?" She asked in a tight voice.

I didn't blame her. The sunlight was bothering me too and I quickly stepped out of its light with the clothes she had already taken out.

"Yeah, she's my friend back from Forks." I called from the bathroom, quickly pulling on the pants and doing up the belt. I hopped around on one foot for each shoe and stared running a brush through my hair.

The door opened a crack as Alice held out a black button up, a black tie, and a pair of black suspenders. I quickly took them, pulling off my T shirt and continued to get dressed. "That sounds…fun. Have you missed her a lot? I mean, of course you have, she's your friend and you haven't seen her. What, uh, what are you guys going to be doing? Hanging out? Going to see a movie?" She asked.

Biting my lip while I retied my tie, I looked in the mirror at my Mark and tattoos. Leah wouldn't care about them; she never had much of a problem with Vampyres as most other people did. Her offering to give me a ride was proof enough. Most everyone else on the reservation wouldn't be quite as understanding about it; but there was no time to go through all the hassle of covering it up. They'd still know either way anyways; what was the point?

"I'm going to see Jake's…grave. It's a three year anniversary." I mumbled, walking out of the washroom.

"Oh!" Alice gasped. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Bella." She said, wrapping her arms around me in a hug. "I didn't know - I wouldn't have said anything - I can't imagine how you must fee-"

"Don't worry about it, Alice." I replied, patting her back. She let me go and I quickly grabbed a black blazer, one of the few without a school insignia. "I should go though; I don't want her waiting long."

"Yeah, no, of course. See you later." She murmured, walking me to the dorm doors before waving.

**XXxxXXxxXX**

Leah had been somewhat hesitant when she first saw me. Being okay with vampyres and being okay with an old friend turned vampyre were two different things. That, and the fact that I had all these weird tattoos that other vampyres hadn't even heard of before… yeah, she was justified in being a little hesitant. But, she seemed to get over it quickly and got into the car with me following, racing off down the road. I had glanced back in the rearview mirror, looking at the House in the daylight. It had really did seem like an old castle, very medieval and victorian looking at the same time. And I could see why humans…feared it, us. It was different, unknown, and oozed power, especially with Esme and the two Warriors standing at the front gate while she waved with a big smile.

Half an hour later, I was still contemplating how much I was already missing the House. It was odd. I felt more uncomfortable away from the House, away from Alice, Eve, Jasper, Emmett, and all the others, more so than I did when I had been taken there from Forks, from my family. I should have felt guilty, I knew that; missing Esme more than Renee. Missing the House more than my home.

"Something wrong?" Leah's voice brought me out of my thoughts with a start. I looked over with a raised eyebrow, catching her dark eyes gazing at my Mark and tattoos, my eyes. She looked back away to the road. "You're frowning, deeply. It's been a while since we've hung out; a long while, but I still know you, Bella. You're either worried or feeling bad about something."

A long while… Three years. Leah and I had become good friends, really good friends, over the years she had dated Jacob. He was like a brother to me; we were practically twins, wherever he was, I was, and vice versa. And when Leah started dating him, she became the third musketeer to our dynamic duo. After the accident, she stopped texting me, stopped calling and coming over; she would avoid me. Yeah, it hurt losing both Jacob _and_ her, but I understood. I reminded her of him more than anything else.

Clearing my throat, I looked back out the window as well. It wasn't just painful for her to be around me, but for me to be around her. She, too, carried painful memories. I couldn't look at her without expecting Jake to run up, wrap his arm around her and give her a kiss before grinning and giving me a playful punch in the shoulder. And every single time he didn't, it was like a kick to my heart. "I, uh, just thinking about home. Forks and stuff. It's been a little while since I've been there."

She pursed her lips. "Well, I suppose we're in the same boat then, no?"

A smile pulled at my lips. "Yeah? There's a chance the people of La Push will grab pitch forks and torches, form a mob, and chase you out of town as well?" Leah snorted and I laughed, shaking my head with a sigh. "God, Billy probably won't even let me go see Jake."

Leah's face turned grave and sad again, the small light in her eyes dimming once more. "He better." She growled. "Bloodsucker or not, you're still Bella."

"I've never actually drank blood." I commented, trying to turn the conversation back away from touchy subjects. She looked at me from the corner of her eye. "I'm still a new fledgling; I've got a year or two to go before craving blood." I didn't know why yet; I had only glanced at that chapter in my text book from Vampyre Sociology 101.

The rest of the drive there was more or less quiet, which was fine with me because it let me internally freak out about actually going back to Forks, and let me think. Leah stopped twice; once to go to the washroom, the second time for us to grab lunch. She gave me a funny look when I told her to stop at the healthiest place nearby; but I didn't feel like elaborating and saying I was just trying to keep my chances of rejecting the Change low. Definitely not something you want to say on the way to the anniversary of a friend's death; 'yeah, gotta stay healthy or I might croak myself'. Not good.

I slept a few times on the way, and woke up a final time when the car was off and Leah was shaking my shoulder. Groggily, I readjusted my seat up straight and blinked a few times, taking off my glasses to rub my eyes. Humming, I looked over to her and then out the window. We were at the Clearwater's.

My feet seemed to weigh a ton as I followed Leah into her house, trying to hide behind her the whole time. Seth came bounding around the corner, his hair a long shag of brown hanging in his eyes, his limbs long and lanky. He practically jumped on Leah, engulfing her in a hug as he cackled. "Long time no see, sis!"

"Yeah, yeah, get off." She huffed back, prying his arms from around her. "You remember Bella, don't you?" She smirked, knowing full well he did and was trying to bring the attention from herself.

Seth's eyes bulged as he looked at me, a gasp falling from his mouth. He stared at me in wonder, hesitantly moving closer, his eyes tracing my tattoos. "Whoa…" He breathed.

"Leah! Bella! Good to have you girls home!" Sue said, breezing into the room and wrapping her arms around her daughter. "My, you're still growing, aren't you?" He eyes swept over to me, slightly widening. "And how you have changed, Bella!" She exclaimed, walking over to me and giving me a hug that I quickly returned. I had missed Sue and Seth. "You're filling out to become such a lovely young lady."

"Young Vampyre lady." Seth scoffed with a goofy grin. "Flash me them fangs!"

A smile pulled at my lips. Yes, definitely missed the Clearwaters. They were always so open minded. A small laugh left me as I realized that even Sue was waiting for the fangs as well and I rolled my eyes, grinning a big, fang flashing smile. Their eyes widened with mirth and more wonder. "I'm so friggin' jealous, man." He sighed.

"The fangs come with a price, Sethy, don't forget that." Leah chastised. Seth nodded, looking down at his feet. "You guys ready?" She asked.

"Yes, everyone is leaving right now." Sue replied, following Leah as we all shuffled out the door.

The Blacks, Clearwaters, and a few other families all went down together every year to pay their respects to Jacob, and then everyone went to Sam's gravestone, Quil, Embry, and a few other boys who had also prematurely passed. Leah never stuck around longer than Jake's, refusing to hear their superstitious gossip about a curse on some of the healthy young boys of La Push.

Nervously shoving my hands into my pockets, I watched my feet as I followed the Clearwaters down the street, ignoring the curious stares of other families as they joined us. Very few of them were curious stares though; most were hateful glares. And to think, just a few short months ago; they would have been happy smiles at seeing me visiting again.

"What's the _leech_ doing here?" Someone hissed and I looked up into the shocked and still slightly disgusted face of Jeremy Treevers; he used to work at the grocery store that Jake, Leah, and I would stop buy for drinks on hot days all the time. He used to hit on me like crazy until Jake gave him the back off look.

"Shut up, man; it can hear you." Another voice said. I didn't bother looking for the owner of that voice and turned back to the Clearwaters.

I was starting to get a bad feeling about coming here.

Everyone was wiping tears and gathering themselves about, heading off for Sam's gravestone across the graveyard. I watched them walk off, feeling another tear run down my cheek, and turned to Leah. She sniffled, kissing her fingers and pressing them to Jake's gravestone, before she got to her feet. She cleared her throat and wiped at her face before turning to me with puffy eyes and a blank face. "I'm going to go take a shower and make some lunch; you want to come back with me?"

I shook my head. "No; you go on. I…" She nodded and hugged me tight before walking off. I turned back to the gravestone, sat back on my heels, and stared at Jake's name. "So…" I sighed, shaking my head. "Like the new look?"

Of course there was no answer, but… I don't know. Every year I stayed behind, started talking about my life. I always felt like he could hear me, even if it was ridiculous. A lot of the time, I actually felt like someone was watching me, like he was, and that was no different today. So I spoke on.

"A Vampyre. Who would have thought, eh? Clumsy, dorky, old Bella a Vampyre. With an affinity no less. You'd get a kick out of it; that's for sure." I looked around quickly before looking back to the stone, shuffling closer. "You wanna see? Watch closely, Jake." I murmured, holding out my palm. Energy rippled deep inside me and when I opened my eyes, a small flame was dancing in my palm. "Cool, huh? Watch this." I quickly traced my finger over the engraved letters of his name, watching as flames filled them and grinned. "Pretty damn cool."

Rough hands grabbed under my shoulders as someone tossed me off to the side on the ground while Jeremy shrugged off his coat and put out the flames. Him and a couple of his friends, large friends, stood over me with looks of disgust and hatred. "What the hell do you think you're doing, freak?" Jeremy spat.

"I-I-I-"

"You shouldn't even be here." Another one yelled, glaring at me. "Your kind isn't welcome."

"B-But Jake - he's my friend and I come every year and-"

Another took a threatening step towards me. "When you were human and not some unnatural creature!"

Fear flooded me, but boiling just under it was an anger that was growing. "Listen, I don't want any trouble."

"Perhaps you shouldn't have shown your Pale Face self then!" Jeremy huffed. Him and one of the others roughly grabbed my arms, jerking me to my feet. "I think you _are_ looking for trouble. Why else would you be here, right?" He said, smirking at his friends who laughed and nodded. "You got it, leech."

My fists clenched and shook as I swallowed back a snarl, trying to stay calm. "You're going to get hurt, Jeremy." I murmured, looking into his eyes with a pleading stare.

He paused for a moment, his eyes softening. But one of his friends laughed in my face and his eyes hardened again. "Hurting it the exact opposite of what I'll be feeling, bloodsucker."

Adrenaline poured through my body. One more chance. I had to give them one more chance before I'd show them just how much of a _bloodsucker _or _leech_ I could be.

"Jeremy… please, I'm still me. I'm Bella. What do you all think you're doing?" I said more loudly. "What do you think you're about to do?"

They all quieted, looking at one another. Jeremy pursed his lips, shaking his head. "We're teaching a leech that their kind isn't welcome amongst humans."

"Fine." I muttered, inaudibly.

Jeremy's grip tightened a fraction just as I was about to call my element again; when he froze. My brows furrowed as I looked up at him, his eyes wide in terror and shock. The other boys were much the same, staring behind me. In fact, I could feel heat, not as intense as my own, hovering behind me and I tensed.

"Leave." A deep, gravelly voice snarled.

The boys, faces white, tripped over one another as they scrambled off. Jeremy trembled, his hands still around my arm. I formed a glare, grabbing the front of his shirt and yanked until his face was right in front of mine and he gulped. "That means you too."

He nodded furiously until I let him go, sprinting off after the others boys. I watched until he was gone before turning around to thank whoever it was that scared them off. My own gasp fell from my mouth as my eyes widened. It had been five and a half hears, but I still remembered him. He was the first 'cursed boy' to go.

"Sam?"

Was I seeing a freaking ghost? Was I going crazy? No, the others saw him. Was this really Sam? Was it a relative of Sam's? Who the hell was this?

Whoever it was turned around, sprinting off to the trees on the other side of the cemetery. Huffing, I grumbled under my breath before running after him. Whoever he was, was fast though, and by the time I reached the trees, I wasn't sure which direction he went in. "Sam!" I shouted, picking a path and started running down it. "Sam, wait! Come back!"

God, did I hate running. I was still a little apprehensive; especially because this was eerily similar to the last time I had ran. Only this time it was _me_ who was the one chasing the dead guy. And, well, vampyres aren't really dead. They're just different.

Which got me wondering how the whole dead vampyres thing started as I ran through the woods.

Twenty minutes later, I was huffing and panting and bent over to catch my breath. No longer was I chasing Sam; now I was just trying to find my way out of here. Had been, for the past fifteen minutes, which wasn't a good sign. That, and the fact that I felt like crap. Yeah, I wasn't the most fit person in the world and I never ran because I tripped a lot; but I shouldn't have been feeling _that_ bad. I was sweating buckets, my chest felt so tight I couldn't breath, and even with my glasses; the world was looking fuzzy and blurry at the edges.

Gasping for air, I peeled off my blazer and tossed it to the ground. I ran a hand through my sweaty hair, looking around for the sun that had started setting a while ago and was almost completely gone. That helped, but not enough.

My throat was dryer than a desert, and it hurt to speak, but I had to keep yelling for help. "Sam…" I croaked, walking jerkily and holding onto trees. "Sam, please…help…"

Something warm ran down my lips and my tongue snaked out to get it. Metallic, salty almost… I gasped, my hand flying up to touch my nose and my lips, pulling back for me to look at the crimson liquid. Blood.

Falling back onto my butt, I covered my mouth as a violent cough ripped from my throat. My brain felt like it was swelling and black spots filled my vision as I coughed again, falling back onto the cool floor of the forest, looking up at the pink sky. My eyelids fluttered and my hands fell from my face, down to my sides as the waves of unconsciousness tried to pull me under. I desperately fought the current, opening my eyes once more to meet a pair of golden ones before my own closed.

"Thank Nyx! Bella, open your eyes!" Esme's voice cried.

**XXxxXXxxXX**

**Guys, I don't want to leave it there! I've got more I want to add, but I've got to stop it here or things will get crazy! ^^**

**I'll start on the next chapter soon, though, since I've got a bunch of it planned out in my head already. Not to worry!**

**Review and such forth. You guys give me inspiration, and I've taken all your suggestions into consideration and am working with some of them, so thank you! Especially B. Silverbow, you've sparked many ideas in my head, and have actually been reading my mind apparently as well. You're spot on with a few things.**

**-Paige.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I also don't own the House of Night series or anything of theirs. Those belong to Stephanie Meyer, and P.C and Kirsten Cast.**

**Rated: T.**

**Author: Paige Turner.**

**Summary: AU. 'I didn't know how or why; but this pixie looking girl was different than everyone else. Even the people at **_**this**_** school, and that was saying something.' A/B R&R!**

**BELLA**

A sigh sounded across the room, accompanied by a _thud_ as someone dropped a book onto a hard surface.

Groaning, I reached up to my ears while simultaneously turning on my side away from the noise. It was like an explosion of noise, and if the thought of getting up didn't almost physically cause me pain, I would have been beating someone's ass for waking me up like that. As it was, all I could do was mentally curse them in my head while glaring at nothing with my eyes closed. Hopefully they'd get the picture though.

"Are you awake?" A high, light voice asked.

My features softened as I recognized the voice, but I still didn't want to move. And answering would require movement, which was so not happening, even for Alice because _damn_, was I sore. My body felt like someone turned me inside out in my sleep. Felt like I was hit by a train. Trampled by a stampede of buffalos.

You get my point; I was in a hell of a lot of pain.

The bed dipped behind me and I felt the body warmth of someone as they lay down beside me. "Please open your eyes, Bella." Alice whispered. Her voice sounded so…sad and worried. Almost desperate. _That_ was enough to get me to move, because now I was seriously starting to freak out. So, with great challenge, I pried my eyes open and blinked a few times. My glasses slid onto my face so I could look up into Alice's as she propped her elbow up on my pillow, holding her head in her palm. "Thank you." She said, her tone relieved.

My eyes scanned her face with worry and concern; there were dark bags under her eyes, almost purple. Her golden eyes were dim, more like a burning amber, both watery and puffy like she had been crying or was about to. Her silky ink black hair wasn't in its styled chaos anymore; it was a mess, like she had been running her hand through it all day. Her clothes were wrinkled and old, like she had been wearing them for a couple days. Despite that though, she finally smiled. It was slow and hesitant, so unlike her normal charming grins, but it did still calm me down and settle my nerves. Her small, pale hand reached out, tucking a lock of my hair behind my ear as her eyes traced over my face.

Furrowing my brows, I tried to speak, but my voice cracked before a sound could get out. Alice pursed her lips, leaning back to grab a glass of water and brought it to my lips. It wasn't until that first sip that I realized how thirsty I was. My hand jerked out, tipping the glass more until I was chugging the liquid, my throat drier than mars or something akin to that. When I was finished, Alice put the glass back, looking at me expectantly.

"Are-" I coughed once, clearing my throat. My voice was scratchy and rough, like someone poured sand down my throat, but I continued on. "Are you okay?"

She stared at me for half a second before a laugh bubbled out of her lips. Warmth and affection entwined with sadness and concern. "Yes, Bella, I'm okay. I think you should be asking yourself that question though." Again, my brows furrowed in confusion. A frown tugged at Alice's lips. "What's the last thing you remember?" She asked softly, brushing my bangs from my face.

Biting my lip, I thought back. Driving with Leah down to La Push. Seeing the Clearwaters again after so long, realizing how much I missed them, heading down to Jake's gravestone with all the other families, Jeremy and his friends…Sam… chasing Sam…the blood… My eyes widened as I looked up at Alice. "Sam!"

Whatever she was expecting, it wasn't that. Her own eyebrows furrowed. "I – what? Whose Sam?"

Sam. Sam was there; I was sure of it. Yeah, he looked older, a hell of a lot taller and much more muscle. He wasn't the scrawny guy he used to be, but that was Sam. And he was the first 'cursed boy' who died in a weird accident. If he was alive…maybe…maybe Jake… but why? And how? None of this made any sense.

But he _was_ alive, and that meant there was the most smallest chance that Jake _could_ be, and I needed to make sure.

Swinging my legs over the other side of the bed, I pushed myself up to my feet. "Bella – don't!" Alice called, leaping off the bed to somewhat catch me as I tumbled forward into the wall. "You're too weak to walk yet, Bella. Lay down."

Grimacing against the pain in my legs and the wave of drowsiness that over took me, I braced myself against the wall more, turning to lean my back against it. "I have to talk to Leah, we need to get back to Forks."

Alice, who was still way up close in my personal bubble with her arms around me to hold me up, shook her head with a confused frown. "We _are_ in Forks still, Bella. Why do you need to talk to Leah? And who is Sam? Maybe you need to lay down a little longer."

Furiously shaking my head, I started for the door of _my_ bedroom. My bedroom back at my house back in Forks. Alice walked with me, keeping an arm around me at all times in case I stumbled again. I looked down and noticed I was in a pair of my old sweat pants and a T shirt, and blushed while I tried not to think of who changed me.

Everything was just the same as it was before I left. The hardwood floors, Charlie and Renee's room down at the end of the hall, the bathroom off to the right, the stairs to the left, which were much harder going down with Alice trying to help me. The living room off to the right, the front hall, the kitchen, stairs to the basement, everything still in its place.

Alice helped me to the kitchen where a couple people were standing and sitting around. I kept one hand on the wall the entire way there, not wanting to strain Alice, but also not wanting to risk falling. Hey, Alice was strong and all, but she was tiny. However, even with her help and the help of the wall; I was still panting and trying to get the room to stop spinning.

The people in the kitchen turned to look at us and Esme bolted up, rushing over to me at speeds a little more than human. I collapsed in her arms, mostly because I couldn't hold myself up anymore, but because I knew that for sure Esme wouldn't drop me. "Bella, you shouldn't be up yet. You need your rest; look at you, you can barely walk." She chastised with a stern, but warm voice.

"I need to call Leah." I croaked out, looking around for the phone on the wall. But instead, my eyes locked onto a pair of chocolate brown ones; identical to the ones I used to have before being Marked. Charlie still looked just the same as well; short dark hair, a big black moustache, his police uniform. Renee did too, I saw as I looked over at her; short mahogany brown hair, clear blue eyes, pale complexion. The three of us stared at each other, me looking back and forth between them, those two staring, unblinking at me. "Hi." I murmured.

Renee shifted uncomfortably, looking over to Charlie and then back to me with a hesitant smile. Charlie grunted, scratching the back of his neck. "Hey there, Bells." He said in his gruff voice. "Long time no see, eh, kiddo?"

"A very long time." I couldn't help the bitterness that seeped into my voice and they both flinched at it. Months. I had been at the House for months, and this was the first time I had seen them since being Marked. They hadn't called; hadn't written, hadn't come to visit me. Nothing. "You guys never had a problem with vampyres, but I guess it's different when your own child is one, huh?" I snapped.

Renee's eyes widened as she looked around. "What? Honey, no! Not at all; we don't have a problem with you being a vampyre."

"Where have you _been_ hen?" I yelled, feeling the sting of tears in my eyes. Esme held me tighter to her. "Not a word. You haven't even sent one word. Not a 'hey' or 'how are you' 'we love you' 'we miss you' 'we hate you' 'never come home' nothing!"

"Bella, don't say such things! You know we'd never tell you not to come home. We love you." Renee pleaded, taking a hesitant step to me, her own eyes watery.

Looking away to scowl at the corner of the room, I crossed my arms over my chest. "You have a real unique way of showing it."

Charlie got to his feet, running a hand through his hair. "You listen hear, Bells, and don't talk to your mother that way. Hey – look at me, young lady." He said in his Papa Bear voice. I, unwillingly, met his eyes. "We wanted you to settle in at first; we didn't want letters and notes and things to hold you back and distract you from meeting new people and making friends. We all know if you had received letters every day; you would have hid up in your room, away from the others, reading and writing to us. Then Milo's grandfather had a heart attack and the post office has been shut down for a few weeks now. So, we started pooling together a little something so we could fly out and see you; but it wouldn't be for a another month; work's been busy lately."

Charlie held my glare with his own patient stare for a minute, almost two. My lip started to tremble and I had to bite it to keep it still, blinking furiously. He raised his chin, nodding to the table beside him at the far end. "Tickets are down there." He stated.

The tears fell as I launched myself from Esme into his arms, holding him tight and crying. Renee joined the hug as I started crying harder, telling them how much I missed them and loved them and how I was so sorry.

The water works didn't stop for quite some time, not until everyone was settled in the living room, and my eyes finally cleared up. I sat on the couch with Renee while Charlie pulled up his recliner close, catching up on different things. Esme asked to be excused with Alice so they could speak privately and I glanced up at them with worry as they got up. Alice smiled reassuringly, reaching over to squeeze my hand before she followed Esme upstairs.

An exhausted sigh escaped me as I leaned back against Renee, looking around the living room. I felt like such a stranger here now; it was weird. Charlie caught my eye again with a little smile hiding under his moustache. I raised an eyebrow at him. He silently nodded to the stairs. "So, Alice is sweet."

A blush started creeping up my neck and I fought to keep it at bay. "Uh, yeah, really sweet. She's a nice girl. Everyone there is pretty nice; especially Jasper. He's a good guy. Edward is super nice and polite as well; but he can be such an ass sometimes."

Renee spoke quietly. "So, are you and Alice…"

"Friends? Yeah." I nodded jerkily. I was so close to taping their mouthes shut, because I knew any louder and Esme and Alice would hear them. Who knows, maybe they already could.

Charlie cleared his throat with a grin. "Yeah, but, uh, she was pretty concerned about you back there, Bells. Wouldn't leave your side for a second; two whole days with your unconscious self there. That's a long time for friends." He winked.

"Dad, seriously we're just – two days?" I gasped.

Charlie and Renee both turned serious as I looked at each other them. "Yeah, you were out cold when they showed up on the door step. We freaked, but Esme said that you just needed some time. If anything got worse, she'd send for Car…Carmen? Carl?"

"Carlisle?"

"Yeah, him. But she was sure you just needed a little while." Charlie nodded.

"Which brings us to my original question." Esme said, breezing into the room with Alice. "What on earth were you doing in the woods?"

Crap. How did I reply to that without sounding crazy? Charlie took my hesitance the wrong way, jumping to conclusions as his face turned angry. "Did anyone down there chase you into the woods? Did they try to run you off?" He demanded.

Alice's head whipped up. "What?" She gasped, looking at Charlie. Her lip curled up in a snarl. "Who? Why?"

"No – no one tried to chase me off!" I quickly said, watching Charlie and Alice relax slightly. "The people in La Push aren't as…considerate to vampyres as other people are, but they wouldn't do that." I thought back to Jeremy. "But even if they did; I can take care of myself, dad, I assure you."

"Why were you out in the woods then?" Renee asked, looking confused.

I bit my lip. "Oh, well, you see the thing is…" I cleared my throat. "I, uh, saw someone. An old acquaintance, of sorts, but he ran off so I chase _him_ into the woods. But, uh, I got lost. Say; how did you find me? Or, know that I was in trouble?"

Esme frowned. "The Tracker who was supposed to be traveling through here from New York got held up by a storm. Alice had a vision shortly after so we hurried down; she found you."

My eyes met Alice's and I offered her a small, shy smile. "Thanks."

She grinned and nodded at me before slowly furrowing her brows again. "Was this person you were chasing Sam?"

My eyes widened and I looked up at Charlie and Renee. Charlie scratched his chin. "Sam Uley?" Slowly, very slowly, I nodded and waited for his reaction. His face scrunched up in confusion. "Bells…Sam's dead. You know that."

Everyone looked confused now. "Y-yes, I know, but I saw him. I swear, it was him – even Jeremy and the other boys saw him."

"What were you doing with Jeremy?" Renee asked, knowing him and his father were one of the more vocal people against vampyres. "Did he hurt you?"

"No; Sam scared them off." I sighed. "Listen, I'm not hurt, well, not from them. I _did_ see Sam. And maybe…if Sam's alive, then maybe… Maybe Jake is too." I whispered. "So, I was going to call Leah-"

"Bella, no!" Renee said, frowning at me with a disappointed look. "Don't you dare, young missy. You leave the poor girl out of this, do you hear me? She's been through enough."

"But if there's a chance, she would want to know! I would want to-"

"No, Bella. I won't let you put her through this. It isn't possible, so don't get her hopes up only to be crushed."

"_This_," I hissed, jerking my hand out, palm up with a flame dancing on it. "Is impossible too, mom, but I'm still doing it." Charlie and Renee stared at my hand in wonder. "Now; if there was even a chance, small and hopeless as it is, that Jake is alive… Leah would want to know just as much as I would." I replied in a softer tone, closing my hand over the flame and putting it out.

"Look into it more." Alice's voice said from the other side of the silent room. I looked up at her, cocking my head to the side. "Look into it more, try to figure stuff out a little better, try to find more evidence supporting or disagreeing with what you saw. _Then_ call her."

Slowly, I nodded. "Alright."

**XXxxXXxxXX**

After more tears and promises of seeing each other next month; Alice, Esme, and I headed back to the House. It was mostly a quiet car ride; for me at least. I slept in the backseat for a good portion of the time; chugging water and pain killers the other portion of the time. Alice and Esme spoke quietly up front, laughing every now and then.

Every time I close my eyes, I'd see Sam though. It was him… I was certain. It couldn't have been anyone else. Alice promised she would help me look into it more, which was greatly appreciated, and even Esme said she would ask around about people coming back from the dead.

Which would explain my nightmare of a zombie apocalypse and evil, half dead vampires like you see in the movies. At the end of every single one of those nightmares though; Alice would swoop in and rescue me, so I suppose it wasn't _that_ bad.

Except for the last one. The last nightmare was much worse. It was night, and I was walking through the House yards, well, more like leading. I was leading a group of people through the House yards. But there was something wrong; all the buildings and statues and everything; they were all broken and on fire, crumbling. And there was screaming; so much screaming and yelling and blood; it was like a war was going on. And then there were giant wolves; wolves the size of horses, fighting alongside Esme, Emmett, the warriors, and my circle, with all the other vampyres. I wasn't in the circle though; something was wrong because Eve was almost in tears as she hurled her element at me, and I brought my own up to deflect it. I could feel my lips pull up into a cruel smirk and then-

The front doors of the car slammed shut and I jerked up, looking around to see we were parked in the House's parking lot. None of the buildings were falling or smashed, there were now fires, people were walking to and from class, talking and laughing with one another. Everything was like how it was supposed to be.

Clearing my throat, I got out of the car, hissing as I grabbed my back. Alice was there a second later, but I waved her off. "Just a cramp; I'm fine." I replied.

Esme patted my shoulder, her face looking concerned. "Head on up to your dorm, Bella, and take the rest of the day off. If you're not feeling better tomorrow, you can take that one off as well, alright?" I nodded and she gave me a hug before sweeping off down the sidewalk.

Alice looked up at me with a smile. "You want me to walk you up to your room?" I smiled back, nodding, and let her lead me to my room. After making sure I was comfortable and had a bottle of water with pain killers beside my bed; she promised to check in later before she skipped off to class.

Ten minutes later, I was just about to fall asleep when my door swung open. I figured it must have been Alice again, forgetting something maybe, and smiled.

"Getting doped up on drugs while the rest of us suffer in class, eh?"

My smile slid off my face as I froze. "What are you doing here, Rosalie?" I sighed, pulling my pillow over my face.

"Coming to see why your slacker ass isn't in class. And now I know why; you're too busy getting your high." She replied nonchalantly and I could picture her staring down at her nails, without a care in the world.

Huffing, I glared at her from under the pillow. "They're pain killers. I don't know if you're aware; but I almost died."

She scoffed, flicking her blonde hair over her shoulder. "Yeah, like three days ago. Old news."

I groaned. "Fine, well you have your answer, now you can leave."

It was silent and for a second I thought maybe she really did decide to throw me a bone and leave. "Did someone drop you on your head when you were a child?" She asked.

Why? Why me? Why now? Why couldn't she be off, bothering someone else?

"What?" I snapped.

My pillow was ripped from my grasp and tossed across the room as Rosalie walked over to the window, drawing back the curtain to look outside. "I don't care for the attitude, Bella." She warned. "And I was just curious – you're not very good at following instructions. People warned you not to go off and stay away from adult vamps for too long."

If I hadn't been so scared that she would murder me, because I was sore and tired and wouldn't put up a fight, then I would have kicked her out of my room already. Alas, all I could do was endure. "I was supposed to meet up with a Tracker, but there were problems."

"Perhaps you should have considered that. You need to be more careful, Bella, you almost died." She snapped back.

My brows furrowed as I glanced up at her. "Doth my ears deceive me? Was…was there concern in there?"

A growl vibrated from Rosalie's chest as she gave me a glare that would have killed were it possible. "Not even a little bit." She hissed. "You're the missing element to _my_ circle, so I'm just looking out for _my_ circle. Not the people in it. They can be replaced." She growled.

"Yeah, but you said that _I_ need to be careful. Not, I need to be careful because I've got your missing element. You didn't say anything about elements or circles." I pointed out.

"Overdose with your drugs for all I care." She spat, leaning down close into my face with a fierce glare, shoving the pain killer bottle into my hands before she stormed out of the room.

I could hear her on the stairs even, and then the front doors of the dorm slam shut. "Love you too." I murmured quietly with a smirk.

**XXxxXXxxXX**

Dinner time came and my stomach was rumbling. I hadn't eaten in three days, and now I was paying for it. After Rosalie's little tantrum, I had been reluctant to leave the dorm room, lest I run into her, but I needed food bad.

So, in my sweats, T shirt, and a sweater I pulled on, I made my way down the stairs of the dorm and out the door into the night. The cool, winter air felt nice against my flush skin, and I was starting to feel much better by the time I got to the dining hall. Evidently, I had to wait for someone else hurrying off to dinner, because I was still to weak to even push open the large, oak doors. In my defence, they _were_ heavy doors, and freaking big.

"BELLA!" Eve nearly screamed, zipping out of the buffet line, dropping her tray on a random table, and practically tackled me. I grimaced at the pain, but it was worth it; I had missed Eve like crazy. "Bella! Oh, you big, stupid head! You know better than to go off alone, especially into the woods. What if Alice hadn't had that vision? You wouldn't have even had humans around to call us! You could have died! You're so lucky you didn't or I would have brought you back just to kick your ass!"

I didn't know whether to laugh or coo when I realized Eve was on the brink of tears, so I just held her back tightly, rubbing soothing circles on her back until she calmed down. "I'm, uh, sorry?" I replied after a while.

She pulled back, nodding and wiping her face while she looked down, making sure there was no tears. She tried to glare at me when she looked up, but gave up shortly, hugging me once more. "You scared the hell out of me." She mumbled.

"Sorry." I replied again, sincerely.

Another pair of arms wrapped around my from behind as I was squished up against Jasper's chest while he hugged me tight, a wave of relief washing over all of us. "Jasper was absolutely freaking out this whole time; it was all I had to keep him from racing off down to Forks himself." Edward commented, standing beside Eve while Jasper continued to squish me. He ran a hand through his bronze hair, smiling warmly. "I'm glad you're okay, Bella." He said, sincerity ringing in his voice. He looked very genuine, and I realized with a start, that I actually missed Edward a little bit too. He chuckled. "How very heartwarming."

Just a little bit though.

He grinned again.

"Darlin', don't you ever scare us like that again, you hear?" Jasper huffed with his southern drawl, walking over to stand beside Edward. His eyes were a little red and I pulled him into a hug again, holding him tight. "And don't you think for once second that I'm ever letting you out of my sight off House grounds ever again. I don't care if it's a family trip or anything; I'm coming with you. You have absolutely no self preservation skills whatsoever."

"Sounds like a plan, Cowboy." I agreed, blinking my eyes a few times to get rid of the sting of tears.

A loud whistle sounded across the dining room and we all looked up to see Raven grinning like a mad woman, waving us over. Edward pursed his lips, closing his eyes before smiling. "She's inviting us all over to eat with them today; Rosalie's got a test she's making up for for Carlisle." He paused, pinching the bridge of his nose. "And though _we_ put it much more eloquently and sweeter; she says she's glad you're not dead."

I snorted, shaking my head. Raven…always blunt and straightforward.

A big smile pulled at my lips as I looked at Raven, Eve, Cole, and Emmett talking and laughing, waving us over, and then to Alice who slipped her hand into mine, Edward who winked at me and grabbed Jasper's hand who was still hovering by my side as we walked over to the back Dark Daughters booth. I had never felt so…loved, really. Never had friends before, never had someone outside the family that would notice I was missing or wasn't there, and looking at all these guys; I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world.

**XXxxXXxxXX**

**Aw, little fluff chapter for you guys there.**

**Review and such forth. What do you want to see? What do you think about the whole Sam thing? What do **_**you**_** guys think it means?**

**-Paige.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I also don't own the House of Night series or anything of theirs. Those belong to Stephanie Meyer, and P.C and Kirsten Cast.**

**Rated: T.**

**Author: Paige Turner.**

**Summary: AU. 'I didn't know how or why; but this pixie looking girl was different than everyone else. Even the people at **_**this**_** school, and that was saying something.' A/B R&R!**

**BELLA**

Snowflakes were gathering on my shoulders, my arms, and just about everything else on me. Big, white, fluffy snowflakes, not a single one looking like the other. Supposedly. It wasn't like I actually ever took the opportunity to stare at them and then compare differences until I found two that were exactly alike. Speaking of which, how did anyone ever really know that there weren't two snowflakes that looked alike? Did they ever go around comparing snowflakes? It's not physically possible for one to even know that for sure. You'd have to gather every single snowflake in the world to compare, otherwise it would be inaccurate. Perhaps there's a snowflake in Nunavut that is an exact match to a snowflake back in Forks. Who would ever know?

"You look like you're thinking really hard on something." Jasper commented, staring at me with a blonde eyebrow raised up. "It's times like this I wish Edward and I could switch affinities."

Shrugging my shoulders, and effectively knocking some of said snowflakes off, I walked over to Jasper who was still busy working on his snowman. "Just…musing thoughts and such."

Jasper shook the snow that was gathering on his head off, his curly/wavy honey gold hair bouncing around. We'd been out there for a good hour almost while we waited for Edward to get ready (honestly, what a woman), and Jasper's cheeks were almost as pink as his nose. The dark blue scarf around his neck matched his eyes and his Mark, his black wool coat long and reaching down to his knees, making him look like some sort of rich kid with his black slacks and shiny black shoes underneath. Huh. I wonder if he _was_ rich. Could be; he looked the type; all fancy and suchness, polite and proper.

His blue eyes flickered up to my own crimson ones. "Now what are you thinking about."

"Just admiring." I replied with a big grin and a wink. Jasper chuckled and shook his head. "Edward better look out."

He full out laughed, looking up to the very top floor of the boys' dorm building we were in front of with a loving smile. "Edward is definitely the jealous type, but I don't think he'll be too worried, what with knowing who _really_ has your interest." Jasper smirked, his southern drawl amused and knowing.

My brows furrowed as I slowly pieced it together, realizing that Edward had told. "He's dead!" I screeched. "I told him not to tell – he promised!" I sighed, crossing my arms over my chest and scoffed. "And to think I was actually starting to trust him. He was being so… not annoying lately." My eyes narrowed. "It was because I almost died, wasn't it? Guilt. Ha! Maybe I should take another trip…"

"Bella." Jasper chastised. He smiled though, knocking his shoulder with mine while I pulled my beanie farther down on my ears. "You have to admit it; a small part of you likes fighting and bickering with Edward. You both have fun doing it and you know it."

I rolled my eyes, huffing when I realized Jasper wasn't going to move on until I agreed. "Fine. I suppose, maybe, perhaps, possibly, a tiny, little, itty bitty, minuscule part of me could _maybe_ enjoy it. _Maybe._" Jasper beamed and I scowled at him. "Now can you please go get your boyfriend; I'm bored as hell out here."

Jasper nodded and jogged off to the doors of the dorm, waving before ducking inside. We were all going to go train and play around with our affinities in the Training Building on the other side of campus now that dinner was over and people were crowding the dorms, hiding away from the cold. But Edward, the drama queen, declared that he couldn't just go and train in anything and that he needed a training outfit. Jasper and I had been waiting for an hour since then. Seriously, he had an outfit for everything; going out into public, something more casual. Then his House uniform, different variations of it. His pyjamas. Gym clothes. And now Training clothes.

Alright, maybe it was _a low_ of outfits, but still! And hour! Come on!

After what seemed like forever, but was probably just five minutes, Jasper's head poked out of a window on the very top floor. "What's taking so long?" I shouted, cupping my mouth so he could hear.

"We're, uh, going to be a little bit, Bella." Jasper called back distractedly. Even from here, I could see a light blush on his face. "You go on ahead without – Edward – us and we'll catch up." He said, giggling and started squirming in the window. "Edward, stop, cut it out." He laughed.

Edward appeared beside Jasper then with a giant grin on his face. "We'll be there in fifteen minutes, you go on ahead so you don't freeze out there."

I _couldn't_ freeze. Did they not get that? I didn't mind waiting a little longer either, it beat walking alone in the dark.

"Just fifteen minutes?" Jasper asked, drooping his eyelids and cupping Edward's cheek.

Edward cleared his throat. "Make that twenty minutes." He paused. "Twenty five."

Again, it took me forever to realize what was going on, and when I did, I desperately wished I hadn't. "Oh god!" I gasped, covering my eyes and shaking my head. "No, no, no, no. I don't need to know. Just, uh, I'll be going. I'll meet you there. Er, shower though after, okay?" I stuttered out, turning on my heel and speedily walked off.

_So_ did not need to know what they were going to be doing.

The warriors weren't at the doors guarding like most of the time whenever I came here. After dinner and classes, they mostly patrolled around the dorms where most fledglings were, and they stayed there throughout the night, er, day guarding. Then when everyone was up and bustling about, they'd return here, where you could see just about all of campus.

Pushing open the heavy doors, I snapped my fingers inside and watched as each lantern on the walls lit up. I smiled to myself, nodding, and closed the doors again to cut off the gust of wind that blew through here. Sure, I could like the lanterns with a thought, but it was still a pain having to do it every time the wind blew them out.

Everything was just the same as it was the last time I was here, which was just the other day. Weapon racks safely tucked away by the walls, weapons securely fastened as to not fall or cause accidents. The engravings on the floor; words, sentences in all different kinds of languages, symbols and shapes, diagrams, etc all covering the marble floor.

I quickly slid out of my own wool coat, hanging it below one of the lanterns to keep it toasty warm. I pulled off my gloves and beanie, shaking my hair about and then ran my hands through it, sighing. Forgot a damn hair tie again.

Unlike Edward, I wasn't a woman-… wait a minute.

I wasn't a _fussy _woman who needed fifty outfits for one afternoon. So to get ready, all I needed to do was take off the school button up. I had taken to wearing tank tops underneath because many a times I would accidentally light my sleeve on fire, which is why I'd ditch the long sleeved button up for training. I didn't need to worry about my dress pants or shoes, because generally my legs and feet didn't touch the flames unlike my hands and arms.

On the outermost Element Circle, where I was bumped up to with the others in the circle because of my 'advanced abilities', my own little circle within it had scorch marks all around it. My footprint. Rosalie's was still overgrown with plant life; Eve's faded and watered down, seemingly a forever puddle there, etc.

Biting my lip, I raised my hand, palm up, and focused on it. Energy flew through me followed by an intense heat, all settling in my stomach like a warm buzz that brought a smile to my face. I watched as a spark appeared in my palm, soon bursting into a large flame. It flickered about before growing larger and larger until it was nearly spilling out of my hand. I closed my eyes, flicking my hand down to the ground beside me. The flame was there, dancing on the floor beside me when I opened my eyes and I grinned again, quickly tracing the large circle with my fingers in the air. The flame followed, as if pulled by an invisible rope until there was one giant circle of flames around me.

Heck yeah, Carlisle, I _was_ getting better. Should have trusted him; he was always right it seemed.

Lifting my arms, I watched as the flames grew and stretched up towards the ceiling, coming to eye level. They burned and flickered, dancing all around me, cackle and bathing the entire room in their glow. I spun around with my arms up, feeling their energy and warmth dance through me, and laughed.

My euphoria was short lived however as my gut tried to explode out the front of my stomach. The air left me in a whoosh as I keeled over, a sense of dread and terror draping over me, heavy like a blanket of foreboding. _Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run._

I straightened up and frantically turned around and around in circles, trying to look through the flames to find the eyes I could feel watching me. My breathing turned short and sharp, ragged and choppy as panic started to settle in. My heart hammered in my chest, trying to jump up out of my throat, a cold sweat forming on the back of my neck, making my tank top cling to my skin. I continued to turn, opening my voice to call out. Perhaps it was Edward and Jasper finally arriving and I was just being ridiculous.

"Guys ar-" A scream broke free from my throat as my eyes locked onto a pair of black one through the flames.

My feet started back peddling as my body subconsciously tried to get me as far away from the owner of the eyes as possible. I tripped, falling through the flames and to the floor on the other side, still sliding and pushing myself farther back away from the circle until I lost the eyes in the flames. Quickly, I turned over and scrambled to my feet, going to run for the door.

But stopped short, screaming again as I came face to face with another pair of black eyes. They were empty, bottomless pits, void of caring, kindness, or anything of the sort. Cruelty, mocking, malicious glances were hidden in them. The corner of their mouth curved up in a mocking smirk revealing even larger fangs than the ones the vampyres had around here. Their skin, too, was much too pale to be vampyre. There was no blood beneath the skin to give it colour.

My feet were propelling me back across the room in the opposite direction once again. _"Help!"_ I screamed, gasping and skidding to a stop as another figure leapt from the skylight, landing soundlessly in front of me. He, too, had the chalky, alabaster skin, his eyes a dark, deep maroon, glaring at me. This one's hair was shorter and my eyes grew wide as I took in the outline of a crescent moon on his forehead and how it was red. _Red._ Like the colour of fresh blood.

His hand raised up slowly and I watched, numb, as it wrapped around my throat and lifted me off the floor. My feet dangled as I gripped his hand, furiously scratching and pulling on it to try and make him let me go. He squeezed and I choked out a breath, trying to scream again. My legs shot out, kicking and flailing around, but every time I hit him, it was like hitting a wall. Same with his hand. It felt like marble, like he was some sort of stone statue animated and brought to life. But not… there was something… a cloud of death that followed him, engulfed him, and it was starting to cling to me like sticky guck. I could almost physically feel it.

The man screamed as my hands lit up in flames and he threw me back. The air was knocked from me again as I landed on the floor, sliding on my back a few feet and into the wall by the door. A feral snarl ripped from the other two as the crouched down, looking more feral and feline than human while the other hissed and held his hand close to his chest.

I jumped to my feet and sprinted for the door, whimpering and feeling the tears run down my cheeks as I frantically pulled at the large, heavy door. With just enough room, I slipped out, feeling the ice cold skin of one of their hands brush my back. I slammed the door shut again and turned around, running as fast as I could down the sidewalk.

It was really late and no one seemed to be out. The sidewalks and grounds were bare, completely deserted of people and professors. Every shadow in the dark looked like one of those…things jumping out at me again and I'd jump back, bracing myself before running off again.

Stopping to catch my breath and try to get my bearings, I looked around. The cold night air nipped at the skin of my bare arms and shoulders and I shivered, taking a breath and summoning my element to warm me up. I looked down each end of the sidewalk, faltering once. Way off down by the professors buildings, some of the lanterns were going out. I couldn't see anyone, and I was fairly certain that Esme kept them lit all night. But one by one, they flickered and went out.

Again, my heart slowly started to speed up as my breathing became laboured. They were going out in a line, one by one, heading this direction. As if a big dark cloud of…of blackness, of darkness was covering and engulfing everything in sight, slowly oozing down towards me. And I was frozen in terror. Watching them getting closer and closer as terror built up in me.

Finally, twelve lanterns away, my legs started listening to me and once again, I was sprinting down the sidewalk away from them and towards the dorms as fast as I could. My legs were pumping hard, almost burning from all the running, my lungs tickling. I wearily glanced over my shoulder, watching as they started going out faster and faster, quickly gaining on me. Tears blurred my vision once again and I-

"Oof!"

"Ah, shit!"

I collided with someone, sending us both to the ground, rolling a few times, all tangled up in one another. I lay there, breathing heavily, trying to calm my frantic heart and look up at the lanterns.

To see they're all lit again.

My brows furrowed in confusion, but before I could think on it, I was roughly shoved off of someone. "What the _hell_ do you think you're doing, Bella?" Rosalie yelled at me. "You just fucking tackled me!" She gasped. "Look at this! I'm _covered_ in snow! Ugh, I'm going to have to change and fix my makeup and - what are you staring at? You're trembling." She cocked her head to the side, studying my face and looked around. "You look like you've seen a ghost, Bella. Seriously, you're kind of freaking me out."

"Did…" I rasped out, still out of breath. "Did you…see them?"

She looked confused. "See who?"

"Girls, what are you doing out here so late?" A new voice broke in. We both looked to the side, Rosalie stiffening as I subconsciously shuffled behind her. Professor Sulpicia stood there with her arms crossed casually, watching the two of us with interest. Her dark hair was like a curtain hiding half of her pale face, her Mark and tattoos looking darling and nearly black in the shadows. I shivered, shrinking away as her dark eyes landed on me. "Hello, Bella dear."

Rosalie straightened out, shielding me from view just a tad more. "Well, I _was_ on my way to see Emmett when doofus here decided it would be fun to jump on me. Other than that; nothing at all." She said in a flat voice, her eyes never leaving Sulpicia, and the guard never leaving said eyes.

Sulpicia's eyes narrowed a fraction before landing on me again. "And you? What were you doing before you… jumped on Miss Hale here?"

Clearing my throat, I looked around. "Um, I was just…uh… I was training. And then I ran back here to…er…see what was taking Edward and Jasper so long. They said they'd just be a few minutes, but it's been a while." I replied.

For some reason, I got the feeling that I shouldn't be telling her what happened to me.

Mostly because I got the distinct, sick feeling that she already knew.

She nodded slowly, her lips curling into a smile. "Hm. Well, stay out of trouble, girls. Wouldn't want anything _bad_ to happen to you, would we?" She commented, her eyes locking with mine making me freeze again. She chuckled lightly and turned, gliding back down the sidewalk away from us again.

We watched her go until we couldn't even see her shape or silhouette anymore. Rosalie then spun around to face me, a scowl on her face. My eyebrow rose. "You don't like Professor Sulpicia?" I asked.

She stared at me for a moment before shaking her head. "No, I don't. Rubs me the wrong way. She's just got this…vibe to her, you know?"

I nodded furiously. "Yes, I know exactly. Alice doesn't like her either, told me to stay clear of her."

Rosalie scoffed. "Well at least the midget is right about _one_ thing. That woman is bad news. I just…" I nodded, prompting her. Her intense green eyes regarded me again before looking away. "'Kay, it might be stupid, but who cares. It's my opinion, right? Everyone's entitled to theirs. I just… think it's weird that she's always around the kids that reject the Change. If they're already dying then just let them croak," I winced. "Don't shove that serum down their throats."

"Yeah!" I exclaimed. "That's just what Alice said! She thinks something's up, that Sulpicia might be-"

Rosalie lifted her hands, shushing me. "Don't start with the conspiracy theory, crazy person stuff. Do you know what people would think, what they would say if they heard us talking about it. Don't go there, Bella; we've got a reputation to uphold." She said, turning on her heel to walk off. She paused, looking over her shoulder at me with a glare. "Oh, and don't ever compare me to Tinkerfreak again."

**XXxxXXxxXX**

The alarm clock on the bedside table next to Eve's bed sounded off, ringing lowly, but blazingly in my ears, vibrating down through my ears, shaking my ear drums. I blinked and Eve blindly reached over, slamming her hand down on the snooze button, sighing and curled under her blankets again. I blinked again, turning my head and looking back up at the ceiling.

It had been hours since I left Rosalie, telling the guys that I had suddenly remembered that I had a paper to write. I hadn't really had one, but I was still freaking out. I had managed to convince Rosalie to walk with me back to the Training Building so I could grab my stuff and she had grudgingly agreed, mostly because she could see that _something_ had me really upset and freaked out. Not that she didn't take advantage of that and made snarky remarks the entire way. When we got there nothing was out of the ordinary. My ring of fire was gone, put out, my coat and everything exactly where they had been. The skylight was, seemingly, untouched, and there were no pale…things running around snarling like jungle cats.

Then we went our separate ways when we came to the dorms, Rosalie waltzing off to the boys' while I raced off to the girls' up to my room and hid under the blankets for the rest of the night.

Since then, I hadn't gotten a wink of sleep. I had been replaying everything over and over in my head for hours, trying to decide if it was real or fake. There was no evidence, no physical evidence to prove that it had actually happened. Nothing but me and my paranoid feelings. Maybe I _was_ just paranoid; it didn't happen and I was just spooking myself.

However, there was also nothing to prove it didn't happen. I mean; I had always been a very rational, logical, think-things-through, plan stuff, and be the reasonable one. I never jumped the gun or anything of the sort. So where was all of this coming from? There was a purpose, a cause, some rational…_thing_ was going on. I just didn't know what. Yet.

Springing up into a sitting position, I gasped. "That's it!" I had to talk to Alice! She'd know what to do! She'd help me figure things out!

"Hmm…Bella? You awake?" Eve groggily asked, rolling over to blink at me a few times.

I got up, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. "Yup. Gotta go though; catch you later." I called, slipping on a new pair of black slacks. "See you in Art, eh?"

She muttered something, flopping over on her stomach to look at the clock. "It's early. You're never up this early." She commented.

"Yeah, I know." I replied, quickly clipping a pair of red suspenders to my pants, letting them hang down by my knees while I searched for a shirt. "Couldn't sleep."

"You alright?" Eve yawned, pulling her blankets back and sat up, rubbing her tired blue eyes.

My fingers were shaking slightly from my nerves and the lack of sleep while I buttoned up my shirt, skipping the last couple of buttons. "Fine, don't worry about it." I murmured back, staring at the white haired little elf trying to shake the sleep off her. A small smile pulled at my lips; she always looked so tiny and like such and innocent little girl in the mornings with her hair all sticking up in her matching pyjama pants and shirt. "How about you? How'd you sleep?" I asked.

Her shoulders rose and fell in a shrug. "Meh. Didn't sleep too easy, kept tossing and turning. Bad dreams, I think. People were chasing me and wolves were howling. Freaky." She shivered, shaking her head. "Last time I snack right before bed."

We both chuckled, though something about her dream struck a cord in me. I shook it off, fumbling with my red tie around my neck, giving up and letting it hang. "Catch you later." I said, waving over my shoulder as I slipped out of the room, hopping around in the hall as I pulled on a pair of red chucks.

Girls were bustling about, talking and laughing while they got ready. Some were working on school work, getting last minute things down on their papers, comparing answers and such. Others were running around in towels, off to the showers, or knocking on other girls' doors asking to borrow a House shirt because they forgot to do laundry again. I slunk passed them all, heading up all the stairs to the very top floor. Tanya and Kate waved and smiled as they passed me and I gave a small wave back, walking to the end of the hall where Alice's room was, pausing.

Was she awake? Would I be waking her up?

…Would she be grumpy?

But, she'd want to know, right?

My knock was feeble, barely audible, and I figured she probably wouldn't have heard me. I was just about to chicken out and turn around, to try and shove everything from the previous night to the farthest reaches of my mind never again to be thought of. But then I heard shuffling on the other side of the door before it opened and a sleepy looking Alice blinked up at me.

Her short, dark hair that was always in spikes still was. Kind of. It wasn't style, more like sticking up in random places from rolling around in her sleep, down flat in other places, hanging in her face. Her unique golden eyes were hidden behind the black locks, a honey golden with lighter specks within them, surrounded by thick black lashes. Her blood red lips pulled up into a warm, affectionate smile, her small pale hand running through her hair, bringing it back out of her face to reveal the sapphire outline of the moon on her forehead.

"Bella, hey." She said. Her voice was raspy and rough from sleep, making me swallow hard as I smiled in return. "What are you doing up so early? You're not usually, are you?" She asked, yawning and stretching, her T shirt riding up her belly.

Ripping my eyes from her smooth stomach, I shoved my hands in my pockets, looking down at my feet and the red suspenders still hanging by my knees. Huh. "Uh, no, not usually. I just, er, wanted to talk to you."

Alice chuckled, her eyes lighting up more as she smiled and pulled me into her room. "Sure, sure, come in." She said, closing the door behind us. "What's up?" She fell back onto her bed, sprawling out, patting next to her.

Hesitantly, I sat on the edge of the bed. "Okay, well…uh, this is going to sound… odd. I - I don't even know if it really happened, my mind could be just-"

"Tell me." Alice said quietly, sitting up and looking at me seriously. "I don't care what it sounds like, Bella. I, of all people, know how the truth can sound sometimes. What happened, what's wrong?" She asked, her eyes tracing my features, finally spotting the panic hidden underneath my surface.

I sighed, running my hands through my hair and nodded. "Okay, well here's the thing. Yesterday after diner Jasper, Edward, and I planned to go train…"

And so for the next twenty minutes I told her. I told her everything. What I did with my affinity, to the eyes, the emptiness in them, the statue like people with their weird Marks. I told her about the lanterns and running into Rosalie. About Sulpicia and the looks she was always giving me. About Rosalie's suspicion. _Everything._

She sat there listening the entire time, her face blank as she soaked everything in. She nodded and grunted a few times, pursing her lips here and there, patting my thigh or knee. When I finished, she got to her feet and walked across the room to her window, opening the curtains to look at the night sky. She sighed, running her hands through her hair, leaning against the wall.

I sat there on her bed, falling back against it with a huff, running my hands over my face. It felt like forever that I laid there, staring at her ceiling instead of mine, going over everything one more time. I could see her out of my peripherals, still staring out into the night with a thoughtful look, deep in concentration. Turning my head, I looked at the shelves on her wall above the bed, looking at the books and nick narks, the rings and necklaces and jewellery boxes. I noticed, though, that she didn't have any pictures. No family photos at least. None with her family or her life before this. There were a few here and there of her in the House uniform, or her with Jasper and Edward, or just Jasper and Edward, but nothing from her previous life before this.

One caught my eye. I was just about to get up and tell her I'd see her later when a flash of mahogany caught my eye and I turned back. My brows furrowed as I sat up, turning to lean over and grab the picture frame, holding it down in my lap. A little girl in overalls, holding a giant puppy in her arms that was nearly as big as she was, stood in front of a giant tree, grinning widely at the camera. There was another picture in the frame beside it; a young teenager, just a year younger than me, long mahogany hair flowing passed her shoulders, chocolate brown eyes, smiling a small, timid smile at the camera while a big bear of a dog sat on her lap, slobbering all over the ground in front of the giant tree.

"Alice, I… this is…" I trailed off, looking up to her. It was a picture of me, young me and old me. From my room back home.

The sheepish pixie was standing in front of me, looking down at the picture frame. She exhaled slowly, shakily, and sat down on the bed next to me. "Yeah. Um, I took it from your dresser when we were in Forks. I… I'm sorry, I just wanted a picture. If you want it back, I understand, I should have asked and-"

"No," I shook my head, looking up into her golden eyes. "No, keep it."

She smiled. "Thanks."

Something was different though. The warmth and affection that was always in her eyes changed, something deeper entering them, burning down, deep in them. Her smile changed too, turning sweeter. I nervously glanced around the room, but was unable to keep my gaze from hers and quickly returned to it, my breathing becoming heavier again. My eyes widened as she scooted closer, her face getting closer, her body getting closer until she was just about pressed right up against me. My heart hammered in my chest, her cool breath fanning out across my lips as she kept getting closer. And then her lips were on mine, both of us moving together, soft and timid, testing. Her hand was in my hair then, gently tugging and my own was on her back, pulling her closer still.

"You up yet, Alice? Jasper wants to go to - oh my god." Edward stuttered, freezing in the door of the dorm room.

Alice and I ripped apart from one another, breathing hard and blushing as we looked at Edward with wide eyes. His emerald green ones slowly shrank back to normal size again as a sly smile took purchase on his face. "Well, looks like Jasper owes me fifteen bucks. It's still November, right?"

I jolted up from the bed, looking at Alice and then to Edward, still blushing like mad. "I, uh, I've got to go. Class and all. Um… and… yeah. See you later." I murmured, racing for the door and out into the hall.

"Bella, wait!" Alice called, racing out of her room after me. I paused, looking back at her as she bit her lip, a scarlet tint to her cheeks. "You… I mean, can we talk? Later?"

My heart was still trying to jump out of my chest as I nodded slowly. "Yeah…um, yeah. After classes."

She nodded, hesitating before ducking back into her room.

**XXxxXXxxXX**

**UPDATE! ^^**

**So, what do you think? Drama, drama, drama. Oi.**

**Review!**

**-Paige.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I also don't own the House of Night series or anything of theirs. Those belong to Stephanie Meyer, P.C and Kirsten Cast.**

**Rated: T.**

**Author: Paige Turner.**

**Summary: AU. 'I didn't know how or why; but this pixie looking girl was different than everyone else. Even the people at **_**this**_** school, at that was saying something.' A/B R&R!**

**BELLA**

The sky is a very big thing, you know? It's vast and wide and just so big. Sometimes if I looked up at it long enough, it felt like I would be swallowed up whole by it. Or, more commonly, like I'd fall up into it. Usually once that feeling started, where I felt like I was falling and never going to stop; that everything was just whipping by me so fast and I was out of control, I'd just look off to the side at something closer, something to hold onto.

Alice, I mused while laying on my back in the snow next to one of the many Nyx statues and staring up at said sky all black and full of stars, was a lot like that. I didn't even have to look at her, all I had to do was think about her; her charming smile, her unique eyes, her wind chime laughter, and I felt like I was falling again. It was scary, scary and exhilarating all at once. It made my heart skip a beat, jump up into my throat and start picking up speed tenfold. Made my stomach flutter, like a bunch of hummingbirds were trapped inside.

I wasn't sure I wanted to look away this time though.

Snow crunched under someone's feet as they approached otherwise soundlessly. I tilted my head farther back, looking at them upside down and raised an eyebrow. Esme smiled brightly at me, gesturing to the ground beside me in silent question. I nodded, somewhat confused, and she flopped back into the snow.

How did she always find me?

"Let me guess; this is where you came after _your_ first kiss too?" I asked sarcastically, remembering the last time basically this happened.

Esme's carmel hair was all fanned out around her head on the snow; thick and long like mine. Her crystal clear blue eyes regarded me curiously as a slightly amused smile pulled at her lips. "That was your first kiss?" She asked.

My cheeks burned with a blush as I sputtered. "What? No, pssh, no way, man." I scoffed nervously, as she stared at me. I fidgeted, looking back up at the sky and away from her silent laughter. "Maybe."

"Congratulations, honey." She sang, patting my shoulder. Again, my blush continued to spread. After a moment or two she asked another question. "How was it?"

"Esme!" I gasped my eyes wide as I feared a nosebleed from all the blood rushing to my face.

Her eyebrows shot up. "What? Am I not allowed to ask that?" I furiously shook my head. "Why not?"

"Because you're like my mom; this is weird." I muttered, looking away. _Very_ weird. You talk about those things with your friends or your sister or someone, not your mother.

Laughing quietly to herself again, Esme nodded and looked up at the sky as well. "Alright, alright. Can I ask why you're out here and not with her right now then?"

"How do you always know what's going on around here?" I asked curiously, hoping to distract her from the question.

Esme pursed her lips, shrugging her shoulders. "It's my House." I nodded, waving my hand to try and prompt her for more information. "That's it. It's my House, that's how I know."

"Well what kind of answer is that?" I scoffed.

She smiled softly. "The most simplest one. I could try to explain it to you, but I think you'd just be confused, honey."

She was probably right. Still a lot of the things I had been learning and reading in Vampyre Sociology 101 was still confusing and hurt my head. This was probably _much_ more complex, and I wouldn't have a hope of keeping up.

"But let's not get sidetracked; why aren't you eating lunch with Alice?" She asked, smirking when she realized what I was trying to do.

A sigh racked through my body as I stared up at the stars, furrowing my brows. "I… I'm scared, that's why." I chanced a glance over at Esme to see that she, herself, seemed a little confused. If I were to tell anyone, it would be Esme, I decided. So, biting my lip and hesitating for a second, I elaborated. "After Jake… after his accident, I was… bad. I didn't get out of bed for a couple weeks and after that I walked around kind of dazed. It was like he took the life from me when he left. I was, in essence, a zombie for the first couple of months."

Esme patted my arm again, comforting me.

"Slowly, I started putting myself back together. I ate regularly again, had normal sleeping hours, started talking to everyone again. I was almost back to normal, though I knew I'd never be one hundred percent; Jake was my missing twenty-five percent. He was a quarter of me and I'm still missing that quarter. But I was better again. Until I found out Leah was moving." I sighed, rubbing my temples. "She was my second best friend; we hung out so much because we were both so attached to Jacob; it was no wonder we became so close. She wasn't a quarter, but she was still a hefty chunk of me; gone with the rest."

I blinked away a couple tears, almost ashamed that I was near crying again. "Anyways; after that I swore I wouldn't lose anymore. I wouldn't give people a chance to take away more of me, to break off more of me, because I knew I'd have nothing when they left. So I…distanced myself from the remainder of my friends, I even tried to distance myself from my parents. I guess that's why I could handle coming here and leaving them all behind."

Pursing my lips, I sat up and crossed my arms over my chest. "And now I've messed up. I've gone and let all these guys in. I've gotten too close to all of them. I know that and I've been ignoring it for a while now, but I can't anymore. Alice is different. She's…" I hid behind a curtain of my hair, a little embarrassed. "Well, she's more than a quarter. She's the rest and I know if I lose her too that I… I won't have anything to try and fix myself with again."

Esme sat up, wrapping her arm around my shoulders, hugging me tight. "Who says you're going to lose any of us, sweetie? Alice, Jasper, Eve, Edward, and the rest of them, they're not going anywhere. They won't leave you."

"How do you know, though?" I asked, desperate for her answer.

She smiled softly. "Faith, Bella. You need to learn to have a little faith. To trust."

"it's not that easy, Esme." I muttered.

"Isn't it? Isn't it just that easy though? Can't it be that easy, Bella?" She asked back. I started shaking my head but she stopped me, looking at me seriously. "Do you want distance between you and Alice?" I furiously shook my head. "You want to be with Alice, right?"

"Of course." I replied. I liked Alice, a lot, of course I wanted to be with her. Distance was the last thing I wanted between us.

"Then be with her, Bella."

"But-"

"No buts, honey." She laughed. "You want to be with her, then be with her. You don't need to complicate it, Bella. You don't need to over think it, you don't need to pick at the what ifs, the possibilities. You need to go find Alice and be with her because that's what you want."

"That's it?" I asked and she nodded. My brows furrowed. "What if she doesn't want to be with me? What if she decides she doesn't anymore?"

Again, there was that knowing smile, that little twinkle in Esme's eyes. "And what if she wants to be with you just as much as you want to be with her? What if she loves you?"

My heart skipped a beat again, jumping into my throat as I fell further. Loved me? I bit my lip, a warmth spreading throughout my chest. "Thank you." I whispered sincerely.

Esme laughed with a bright smile, waving me off. "Go on, Bella. Lunch is almost over."

She didn't need to tell me twice! I was up on my feet, racing off towards the dining hall in seconds. My red tie was dancing in the wind over my shoulder with my hair as I sprinted across the grounds, a giant grin on my face.

I was falling faster and faster, I could hardly breathe. Everything else seemed a blur as I sped up even more, the wind whipping passed me. I wasn't afraid anymore, not of falling, because I knew where I'd land, where I'd end up, would be with Alice.

The snow crunched under my feet with each step that carried me closer and closer to the dining half. Kids looked at me with odd looks, wondering why I was running like a maniac probably, calling out their greetings as I'd pass.

I felt like I could fly, like I was soaring, graceful and light and-

"Oh god! I'm so sorry, I didn't know you were there. Bella, are you okay? I'm so sorry!" Angela gasped, frantically leaning over my, checking to make sure I was okay. She picked up my glasses handing them to me and helped me back to my feet. "Honest, I didn't know you were on the other side of these doors."

"It's fine." I croaked, internally crying as pain shot through me. Wow. That was one solid door to run into. Really solid.

"Seriously, are you okay? That sounded like it hurt, Bella." Angela said, worry covering her face. "You're not bleeding or anything, but are you in pain?"

The pain was already ebbing and fading away into nothing, so I shook my head. Brushing my front off, I collected myself and gave her a lopsided grin and a nod. "I'm good, Angela, thanks though. Usually people just laugh when I run into things. Which…is a lot, actually… I should really stop running into stuff so much." I mused, staring down at the ground in wonder. I ran into _a lot_ of shit, man. Yeesh.

"Sounds like a good plan." She giggled, holding open the dining hall doors for me.

I smiled appreciatively and quickly ducked inside. Kids were all talking and laughing to one another as they sat at their tables and booths, eating and relaxing before the rest of our classes. Eve smiled and waved at me from across the room and I grinned, nodding back at her, continuing my scan.

Soon I spotted Edward's unruly bronze hair at the other end of the hall and Jasper's blonde curls next to him. I bit my lip, weaving in and out of the tables as I made my way over, my nerves finally catching up to me. Taking a deep breath, I sat down at the booth with them, next to Alice who looked up in surprise while Jasper and Edward smiled. "Hey guys." I greeted, exchanging smiles with them.

Alice looked at them for a few seconds before slowly turning to look back at me, her brows furrowed. "What are you doing sitting here?" She asked, confused.

My own eyebrows pulled together as I froze. I glanced at the other two before looking back to Alice. "Oh, uh, well I was going to eat with you guys, but if you don't want me to, I can catch you later." I mumbled, getting to my feet again.

"No!" Alice exclaimed, grabbing my hand and yanking me back down. "I didn't mean it like that, I was seriously wondering. You usually eat with the circle and just hang out with us later." She said, tucking a lock of her dark hair behind her ear.

Nodding, I fiddled with my tie nervously. "Yeah, I know. I was just wondering if maybe we could talk now instead of later. About, um, what happened earlier." I muttered, avoiding eye contact.

Alice was staring at me when I finally looked back up. She had an apprehensive and guarded look in her eyes as she regarded me, biting her lip as she hesitated. "… I guess so, yes." She replied, getting up with me to follow me back out of the dining hall.

Oh gosh. Oh no, man. Did she regret it? Apprehension… not the normal affection and warmth. Was she apprehensive about me wanting something out of this? Was she -

I almost tripped as a thought came to mind.

Did she not actually kiss me? Was I imagining things and kissed her? Was she sitting there, freaking out until Edward came to save her?

My palms started getting sweaty as my chest tightened. The cool night air did little to relive me and I continued for the bench under a tree a little ways from the sidewalk so no one could overhear us or anything like that. Alice sat down on the other side, as far away as possible as she stared at the ground, her lip back in her mouth. She seemed to deep in thought, a small frown playing at her lips. I cleared my throat, looking away once her golden eyes lifted to meet mine. "So… you kissed me?" I asked, just to double check and make sure.

Alice stared at me for a few seconds before something seemed to break in her eyes. They filled with hurt and anger. "You kissed me too!" She said, getting defensive. She shook her head fiercely, looking away. "It doesn't matter though - it was a mistake. I didn't mean it; I was concerned about you and wanted to comfort you, I didn't actually mean to…kiss you or anything. I must have forgotten who you were for a second or something." She continued in a flat voice, avoiding looking at me.

I sat there, frozen as I stared at her.

…she…it…didn't matter…forgot who I was… she didn't mean to?

None of this seemed to compute as my brain scrambled to catch up.

"Glad we got this cleared up…" The words were forced from my lips, almost spat, lacking any emotion.

It was quiet for a moment before Alice nodded jerkily, getting to her feet to walk off back to the dining hall with her arms wrapped around herself, still not looking at me.

When she was gone, I sat there for a few minutes, feeling a numb cloud settle over me.

Esme was wrong.

Alice didn't want me.

Alice didn't love me.

Alice didn't even mean to kiss me.

Tears blurred my vision of the snow covered ground that my feet were firmly planted in. I blinked them away, watching a few fall, and sniffled quietly.

She didn't love me. She didn't want me. And now things would be awkward and strained between us; she probably thought I was a freak. A gross stalker freak who liked her and she was probably telling Edward and Jasper right now about how I expected something from this. Would she laugh? Would she be disgusted?

The hole Jake left in me started to grow and expand, bits and pieces of me I had left falling into the bottomless, empty void.

My fists clenched as my happiness, my joy and cheerfulness, but also my despair and tears over this all fell into the pit, leaving me with hurt and anger. Edward and Jasper both _insinuated_ that this was fine and that I wasn't being totally ridiculous in my feelings towards her. _Esme_ even said that we were meant to be; that she could love me. They all lied! They played me for the fool. Even Eve! She said that it was a good idea, that both Alice and I were single and liked each other and that we should get together. How dare they!

My narrowed eyes shot back down to my feet that were now surrounded by grass and melted snow. I roughly shoved myself up from the bench, marching down the sidewalk towards the girls' dorm. The doors were violently slammed open, the few girls watching TV and stuff jumping and looking at me before I stomped up the stairs to my room. I whipped open the wardrobe, grabbing my duffle bag, and tossed a bunch of uniform clothing articles into it before snatching up my pillow and blanket.

Rosalie's door wasn't locked when I walked in. Her green eyes rose from her books -she had been studying like mad and taking a whole whack of tests lately, rarely ever at lunch- and quickly narrowed. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing?" She demanded.

I hurled my things down onto the empty bed. Rosalie, like Alice, didn't have a roommate. Mostly because everyone was too scared to bunk with her, but also because she thought herself above _bunking_ with people. Esme figured it was easier to give her a room to herself than fight her on it.

Her glare was still on me as I started shoving my clothes into the empty wardrobe. "I'm sleeping here for the next couple of days."

She sat up straighter, her glare intensifying. "Oh no you're not."

_"Yes,"_ I hissed, watching the candle on her bedside table explode into flame. "I am."

There was a banging on her door and we both looked over to see Edward open it, looking a tad timid with Jasper behind him, talking to Alice who was almost out of sight. "Bella," He said, shaking his head. "Things got a little out of hand down there-"

"Get out." I growled.

His brows furrowed. "No, hold on. You don't understand. Alice was too distracted and worried to listen to your tone or look at your expressions. She only registered your words, and you've got to admit; it could be misconstrued as a reject-"

"Leave me alone, Edward." I warned, glaring at him, ignoring the blabber coming out of his mouth. I didn't want to hear anymore of his lies. I didn't want to hear what elaborate plan they came up with to reel me back into whatever they were playing at..

He started stepping into the room. "No, wait, Bella. Alice needs to tell you-"

"I don't want to hear it!" I yelled, shoving him back out into the hall. "I don't want to listen to you or Alice. I don't want to _see_ you or Alice or Jasper or _any_ of you! Leave me alone!" I snarled, tears slipping down my cheeks as I slammed the door shut.

Everyone was silent and I held my breath until I could hear the others out in the hall slowly shuffle away. When they were gone, I slid down the door to the floor, furiously trying to hold back my crying. Rosalie was the last person you wanted to show emotion in front of.

Surprisingly though, she just went back to her books. "You better not snore or I will kick you out; I don't care if you've got drama in your life or not." She murmured, jotting things down in her notebook.

Sniffling again, I nodded and went over to continue putting my clothes away.

**XXxxXXxxXX**

**This one is quite short, I know. But I'm working on trying to finish all these suckers soon, so some of the chapters will be short. But that means more frequent updates, right? And that's always fun.**

**And before you guys go off the boat yelling at me about the sudden change this took on, wondering if Bella's PMSing hardcore or going through mood swings… we must all remember that Bella IS rational. She thinks things through, she DOES NOT jump the gun, she doesn't fly off the handle into emotional fits like this one or the major paranoia like the previous night…previous-previous night. So, uh, wink-wink, and all that. Could there be a reason as to why she's freaking out lately so much? Why she's so **_**angry**_** and **_**paranoid**_** and suddenly distancing herself from all her friends *cough**cough***

**So, leave a review and whatnot.**

**-Paige.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I also don't own the House of Night series or anything of theirs. Those belong to Stephanie Meyer, P.C and Kirsten Cast.**

**Rated: T.**

**Author: Paige Turner.**

**Summary: AU. 'I didn't know how or why; but this pixie looking girl was different from everyone else. Even the people at **_**this**_** school, at that was saying something.' A/B R&R!**

**BELLA**

Sleeping, I found, was the hardest thing to do.

Avoiding everyone else was the second hardest; Alice, Jasper, Edward, Eve, Esme, and everyone else who'd ask questions I couldn't be bothered to answer. There were so many of them and they were everywhere all the time; in the halls, walking down the sidewalks, in class, the dinner hall, and the dorms. I could only manage to find quiet solitude at the back corner wall on the school grounds, the Training Building during certain hours of the night, and Rosalie's dorm. She either knew I wouldn't talk and therefore didn't bother, or didn't care enough to. Honestly, I couldn't care less which of the two it was, I was just glad she left me alone.

Alone.

Exactly what I had been for the past three days, managing to dodge everyone else. After the first two days, they seemed to get the point and stopped trying to corner me. Cranking up my music as loud as it would go on my iPod whenever they got near me was a clear sign that I didn't want to talk. Sometimes, standing under the spray of the shower right before bed, I wished they hadn't given up, that they tried just a little harder. The big, hallow, _emptiness_ in me almost ached. To have nothing there… it was scary, and I could feel myself falling farther and farther each day, losing myself more and more.

Those moments were getting shorter and shorter though, and soon the cold cloud would return and I'd shove them all from my mind.

…

Rosalie's intense green eyes followed my fingers as they tied up my red tie around my neck as I stared, unseeing, at the wall on the opposite side of the room. She hadn't said a word to me since yesterday morning, though we had seen each other a few times since. She regarded me curiously, tugging a brush through her golden locks that were cascading over her shoulder. "Have you spoken to any of them yet?" She asked, her voice hard, with an undertone of caution.

I didn't blink. "No."

She pursed her lips, looking down at her hair as she ran the brush through it a few more times. Her head tilted to the side, her fingers picking out a single golden strand of hair from the brush and let it fall to the ground below. "Do you plan to any time soon?"

"No."

A sigh escaped her lips as she got to her feet, setting the brush down on the table next to her bed. Her long, silk nightgown trailed behind her as she glided over to her wardrobe. "Eve told me what happened," I moved on to pulling the black suspenders up over my shoulder, making sure they weren't twisted on my back or anything. "She asked me to tell you the whole story of what happened." Sliding my arms through a black school blazer, I began tying my shoes. "But if you don't care enough to hear it then I'm not about to waste my breath telling it." She huffed, walking to the bathroom with an arm full of clothes.

The door to the dorm room closed solidly behind me as I stuffed the ear buds to my iPod into my ears, cranking the music and letting the small, thin device slip into my pocket as I walked down the hall to the stairs. The Denali sisters smiled at me from the end of the hall, pausing, and I watched as their smiles slowly slid off their faces into confused and worried frowns as I walked passed them and down the stairs. I didn't spare the living area of the dorm a glance before slipping out the front doors and into the chilly night. My eyes flickered over the grounds, taking in the clumps of kids walking to class together, talking to one another, laughing. A bitter grimace pulled at my lips.

Angela shrank back away from me as I sat down next to her during class. She mistook cold indifference for hostility, as did most people it seemed. If it kept them away from me, then I'd run with it, and didn't bother trying to reassure her or anyone else that I _wasn't_ about to pounce on them and rip them apart like they all seemed to expect. I kept to myself, reading through my textbook, avoiding meeting Carlisle's eye. It was only a matter of time before he or Esme came to talk to me, and I'd rather it be a long time before then.

"Bella," Carlisle said just before the end of class. "Could you stop by my classroom at lunch, I would like to have a word with you?"

I regarded him with a cold stare, collecting my books into my arms along with everyone else. "I'm busy."

His eyebrow raised briefly in disbelief at my tone, but otherwise he did nothing more, said nothing more and nodded, letting us all out a few moments early.

Art was my next class, where Eve and Raven would be, but luckily there was another seat open across the room that I swiftly took. A girl wearing a Dark Daughters cloak, someone I recognized from the lunch tables I had been sitting at lately, looked at me in surprise. She smiled brightly, taking out her pencils and placing them on the desk. "Good morning, Bella. How are you?"

I made a grunt in the back of my throat, staring down at the blank sketchbook page in front of me. I felt the girl, who I remembered as Brianna, shift in her seat before starting to sketch herself. Placing my elbow on my desk and resting my chin in my palm, I lazily looked around the room, taking everyone in with detachment. A sigh escaped me as my hand started doodling on the page. After a moment, I looked down, pursing my lips.

Dark, emotionless eyes, void of anything but cruelty and malice, looked back up at me. Empty pits of nothing, that had my mind flashing back to a few nights ago, back in the Training Building.

Annoyance welled up in me and I ripped the page from the book, crumpling it into a ball. Brianna looked at me, flinching back from my glare. I tried to soften my face, but her uneasiness made it clear that it hadn't worked. "What does Sulpicia teach?" I asked.

Brianna furrowed her brows as she thought about it for a second. "She teaches Chemistry. Professor Sulpicia is actually the one who came up with the concealer we use when going out in public; she created it quite a few years back when she was still just a fledgling and it works so well we're still using it today." She gushed. Obviously this was one of her favourite subjects or teachers.

Which was weird, because I couldn't picture Sulpicia being anyone's favourite teacher.

When the bell rang, I quickly gathered my things and left the room before Raven or Eve could get up out of their chairs.

**XXxxXXxxXX**

The stars shone brightly that night, and especially the moon; it was full.

Staring up at the large night sky, like I had merely three days ago, I couldn't feel what I did then. All that adrenaline, my heart pounding anxiously, my breath short and ragged, excitement bursting through me. I had been giddy and happy and full. Complete. I had friends, my Training was going well, I had just seen my parents, and I was sure Alice liked me the way I did her. I felt warm and fuzzy, couldn't wait to race off and find Alice and the others.

And now here I sat, glaring up at the stars, _daring_ the sky to swallow me up whole. There was no adrenaline, my heart was going its slow, steady pace, my breathing calm. There was no excitement. No giddiness. No happiness. I wasn't complete or full, not even a little bit. I was empty, utterly empty, unable to bring myself to even stand up. I had no friends, given up on my training, couldn't see my parents for who knew how long, and Alice had broken me. Crushed me.

My head fell forward, the sting of tears entering my closed eyes as I took another calm breath. No tears came though; it was a bluff. I couldn't even seem to hold onto them anymore.

Snow crunching under someone's foot had my ears perking and a sense of familiarity wash over my. It was short-lived, however, as Esme came to a stop in front of me.

I stared at her shoes, unblinking behind my glasses.

"Bella," She sighed. "May I sit?"

My shoulders rose and fell in a shrug. "I don't care." I muttered.

"That seems to be the problem here." She replied. "What a mess this all has become."

A grunt clawed its way up my throat, nothing more.

Out of my peripherals, I saw Esme sit down next to me again. I took no comfort from it this time. "It has been three days since you've spoken to your friends, and one since you've even looked at them. How's that going for you?" She deadpanned.

"Better than when I was."

"Bella," Esme said sternly. "This isn't healthy. Look at you, look at where this has gotten you."

My brows furrowed, her words bouncing around and echoing in my head. Where _this_ has gotten me? Anger swelled up in me and I glared up at Esme who seemed taken aback. "And what exactly is _this_ you're talking about? It was misplaced friendship and trust that got me _here_. It was your advice, trusting you and your _faith_, and yes, now look at me. I'm nothing. There's nothing left because I trusted _you_. I trusted _her_. I trusted _them_." I growled. "Foolishly. I should have known better, should have listened to my instincts. They've been telling me to run since the first day I got here practically; I just didn't know _what_ to run from until now."

Esme slowly shook her head. "What's gotten into you? I don't know who this is, but it isn't the Bella I know."

I turned my head, scowling at the empty space on my other side. "This is what's under the Bella you know."

"You foolish girl," Esme sighed, disappointment seeping out from her voice. I internally cringed. "This is all because of one simple mistake. If you would just _speak_ to your friends, everything could be cleared up."

"Did your _faith_ tell you this too?" I said coldly.

Esme got to her feet, offering me her hand as she looked down at me sadly. Her warm brown eyes searched mine, trying to find something in them, her caramel hair falling down around her shoulders. "You're so lost and confused, Bella, just ask for help and any one of us will."

Staring at her pale hand, I finally felt the tears streak down my cheeks. "I can't," Her hand slowly fell as I closed my eyes and looked away. She turned, walking back through the snow towards the buildings again after a few tense moments.

"There's nothing left to save."

**XXxxXXxxXX**

Shoving my hands into my pockets, I trudged through the deep snow off the sidewalks on my way back to the dorm rooms. I took my time, staring up at the sky that was slowly getting brighter and brighter as the sun got closer and closer to breaking the horizon. Alice had left the dinning hall earlier than usual, so I had to take some twisted turns and paths on my way back to the dorm so I wouldn't run into her. So far it was working, seeing as I hadn't seeing _anyone_ else on my way back yet.

Watching my shoes kick through the snow with every step, I sighed, missing the feeling of my toes going numb after spending hours walking around in snow.

"_Please_," A tinkling voice begged.

I stopped dead in my tracks, like I had walked into an invisible wall.

Slowly, ever so slowly, I crept along the side wall of the dorm all the way to the corner, discreetly peeking around to the front. Alice stood at the bottom of the steps leading up to the door; her hair was dark as the night sky, silky enough to catch the moonlight here and there, with flakes of snow gathering in it. Her pale skin was nearly completely covered up in long sleeves of a coat, dark jeans, gloves, and a scarf as she tried to keep warm in this weather. Her unique golden eyes with the lighter specs in them were filled with desperation and frustration as she stared wide eyed up at the door.

"Fine, fine, what do you want from me?" Rosalie's voice snapped. I glanced up in front of the doors, taking in the long, red wool coat, the white scarf and matching gloves, the skinny black pants and black boots. Her long, golden blonde hair was flowing down her back still, this time partly hidden underneath the white wool hat, her cheeks and nose tinted pink from the cold. If it wasn't for the permanent glare and scowl on her face, twisting her elegant looks, Rosalie would have been even _more_ beautiful than she already was. She would have been a sight to behold.

Alice took a hesitant step forward. "I had a vision, I think, I-"

"You think?" Rosalie asked skeptically.

Alice glared but didn't comment on Rosalie's attitude, surprisingly. "Yes, I think; it was all very confusing. I got short little snippets of things here and there, but one thing I do know is that Bella's in danger."

My heart stopped for half a second and I subconsciously leaned forward, my eyes growing wide.

Rosalie, now a little tense, dropped the attitude. "What do you mean? How?"

Alice ran a hand through her hair. "I don't know, I just, there's a lot of blood and she's holding her chest." Alice's eyes lost focus, shifting back and forth as her brows furrowed. "She's trying to tell Esme something, and then you and me. We're both there."

"Where?" Rosalie asked, walking down a few steps to stand in front of Alice, looking urgent now.

"I-I… I can't see, there's too many kids around." She replied. "It keeps shifting; now there's a grandfather clock." My brows furrowed. "More blood and coughing, Esme's crying." Alice's voice cracked, her hand reaching out for Rosalie's. Rosalie shifted, but didn't drop her hand like I thought she would. "She can't breathe, Rosalie, I can't help her!"

"Alice," Rosalie said firmly, shaking her shoulder. "Alice, calm down. Take a breath."

Taking a deep breath, like she was instructed to do, Alice blinked a few time. "The last thing I see are silhouettes walking into the infirmary building and down a flight of stairs."

Rosalie gasped, a gloved hand shooting up to her mouth as her eyes widened.

"What? What's down there?" Alice asked, alarmed. Rosalie continued to stare at nothing, her eyes still wide. "Rosalie, what's down there?" Alice asked again.

Rosalie frowned. "We didn't mean to… Emmett broke his wrist and was sent to the infirmary to get it bandaged up, and after I went to visit him." Rosalie murmured. "Newton was in there, complaining about something or other again, so we decided to look for a little _privacy_ elsewhere. We found the stairs and followed them down to the basement." She paused, making an uncomfortable face. "It was just after Elizabeth had… had rejected the Change the previous night…" My stomach tightened. "Her school uniform was down there, laying on one of the tables, covered in blood. We ran out of there as fast as we could and haven't said anything about it since."

Alice slowly shook her head, taking a few steps backwards. "No…no, she can't reject the Change too. Not Bella; she has an affinity!"

"We _won't_ let that happen, Alice." Rosalie said, standing up straighter. "She hasn't been anywhere near Sulpicia lately, has she?" Alice shook her head slowly. "All right, that's good. I don't care what Esme says, or anyone else, that woman is killing us." Alice looked up at her with wide eyes and Rosalie grinned. "She may be able to talk and charm her way into everyone else's head, but not mine. Takes more than a little compulsion to get into here," She tapped her temple.

"Not mine either." Alice said, her voice a little firmer, a little stronger.

Rosalie gave a nod, crossing her arms over her chest. "Alright then, we just need to keep an eye on our favourite emo for the next little while and keep her away from Sulpicia. I'll take dorm hours, Eve will take classes, and you take lunch."

Alice faltered. "… I can't; she doesn't want to see me." Her eyes fell to her feet, her shoulders slumping and I felt my gut twist. I looked away, closing my eyes.

"I know, which is why you just get the one lunch hour. I don't care if you have to be a creep and stalk her from the shadows; don't let her out of your sight." Rosalie snapped. Alice sighed. "Look, I know you were being dumb and made a mistake," Ever the blunt one, Rosalie. "But saving her life sounds like a good way to start making it up to her."

It was silent for a moment before Alice agreed. "Okay, where is she now?"

Rosalie shrugged her shoulders, turning back to the dorm and skipping up the stairs. "Who knows; she'll show up eventually though. Practically a hermit living in my dorm room."

"How do we know she isn't with Sulpicia right now?" Alice asked, worried.

Rosalie pulled open the doors, smirking over her shoulder. "Emmett skipped this morning and had to go make up the test in her class after dinner. Knowing my monkey man, he's still in there driving her insane."

**XXxxXXxxXX**

_Smoke filled the night sky, clouding and blocking out light from the stars and the moon. _

_The dorms were crumbling in on themselves, dust and debris filling the air, flames dancing from some of the windows of the still standing floors. The statues all around the school grounds were knocked over or had pieces smashed and missing on them, some even splattered with blood. The sound of screams, yelling, the crackling of fire, crying, laughter, and destruction, was almost deafening. One could hardly think over all the noise. Pale and dark blurs were attacking Professors and even some of the older fledglings, fists flying, swords swinging, legs kicking. Anything was being used as a weapon, vampyres desperate to fight off these pale monsters._

_My eyes raked over everything with a cold and calculated glance, taking it all in. Searching._

_They landed on the group in the middle of the House grounds, all standing tall, straight, ready. The grim faces of Esme, Carlisle, Jasper, Edward, Eve and the circle, they all met mine. In a blur of movement, I was standing a few yards away, in front of them all, glaring with blazing eyes. Eve, with tears running down her cheeks, held up her hand, palm out._

_I deflected her affinity with my own, my wrist flicking up. She took an uneasy step back, her eyes surprised. "Impressed?" My voice cackled, cold and dead._

_"Bella, please, stop this." She begged._

_My eyes narrowed as I held my hand up, a ball of fire in it. "No, _you_ stop this. Resistance is useless."_

_A tanned figure caught my eye and I looked off to the side, seeing Sam standing there amongst giant wolves. His eyes, dark and staring at me, were full of disappointment. "If you aren't with us, you're against us, Bella. This is your last chance, we can't save you if you don't stop."_

_Another humourless laugh bubbled up out of my throat. "If you aren't with _me_, you're dead."_

_With a feral snarl, I hurled the fireball at the group-_

A gasp exploded up from my chest as I shot into a sitting position in bed, my heart hammering in my chest as I heaved in another breath. I took another deep breath, trying to steady myself and calm down, running a hand through my damp hair. Gross. Sweat.

My body froze a moment before I figured out why, something moving in the corner of the room. Before I could scream or make any noise to wake up the sleeping Rosalie in the next bed, strong pale hands were covering my mouth and wrapped around my chest and arm. I was held tightly to a stone chest, it felt like at least, and pulled out of bed. I tried screaming and kicking out for something to knock over, but they lifted me off my feet like I weighed nothing at all.

I managed to make out the blurry image of Rosalie still in bed before I was flying out the window and down to the ground below, still in the statue's clutches. My mind whirled, thinking of all the possibilities of what this creep could want with or from me as I tried to scream again and again. It was utterly useless though, seeing as I couldn't make a single sound other than a small little grunt around his marble hand, blinded by the sun.

The school grounds whizzed by in a blur as he ran to a building I was unfamiliar with, one that held classes I hadn't yet taken. The halls were just like any others in the other buildings; tile floors and stone walls, doors on either side all the way down to the stair cases. The statue ran with me in his arms, all the way to the top floor and down to the very end of the hall. There were long tables with sinks in the middle of them, bunsen burners and plugs spaced out on them, four altogether, four spaces for people to sit at each table. Around the room were cabinets full of books, thin and thick, vials, boxes, safety goggles, and all kinds of things. I didn't even have to look at the two people standing at the front of the class, one of them in the corner next to the grandfather clock, to know what room with was.

The Chemistry room.

Where Sulpicia taught Chemistry.

… And, evidently, pulled off her evil shenanigans. Right under Esme's nose.

How could she _not_ see all of this? I thought this was her House!

Sulpicia looked up and grinned, her dark eyes regarding me with something akin to glee. She almost looked like a little girl on Christmas morning. You know, only evil. "Bella, my dear little darling, so glad you could make it."

I shivered, looking up at the giant statue that was still standing behind me, his hand still over my mouth and the other one still one my shoulder, holding me still.

She was next to me in a second, cooing and holding my cheek. "Shh, Bella, you don't need to fear Felix. We don't fear those beneath us, and very soon, you will be his superior." She chuckled, looking up at the stoic giant who was staring ahead blankly. "No, soon it will be him, and everyone else, fearing _you_."

"Erngh ooo n'ing oo-" I tried, but it all came out muffled.

Sulpicia stared at me for a moment. "Lift your hand." She commanded, her eyes still locked on me.

Not a moment later, Felix lifted his hand away from my face. I glanced up at him, to the other figure standing in the shadows in the corner, and then back to Sulpicia. "Are you going to kill me?"

She threw her head back, letting out a loud laugh. I briefly wondered why she wasn't afraid someone would hear it and come looking to see what was going on up here, during day time hours. "No, Bella, I'm not going to kill you. I'm going to create you. Make you better than you are now; stronger, fast, more agile."

My eyes took in the others quickly, noting how young they still looked. My age. The outlined crescent moon on their foreheads, now blood red. These used to be Vampyre Fledglings. I gasped, looking back at Sulpicia who was still grinning. "They haven't been rejecting the Change - you've been killing them and turning them into-into these _things_!" I yelled.

"Most of them, yes." She replied. "But they understand, Bella, they've thanked me for it. They know that everyone has to suffer for greatness; it isn't free and comes at a price."

"Yeah, their _life_." I deadpanned. "Thanks, but no thanks, I'd rather live."

She smiled sadly, walking backwards to the counter behind her as the other figured shuddered and blurred over to me. "I'm sorry, Bella, but I can't let you. I need you, your power, your affinity. You will help me conquer and get _my_ House back." Felix kicked the back of my knees and I cried out, falling down to them. He grabbed my hands that came swinging up as I struggled to get free, holding them in his stone grip. The other one, a girl, pinched my nose, prying open my mouth and holding my head steady as I continued to try and thrash around. Sulpicia came back into view, holding a large glass vile. "Esme will regret the day she stole _my_ House and _my_ High Priestess position." She snarled, pouring the liquid into my open mouth.

I coughed and choked on it, trying to spit it out and close my mouth, but the girl held my jaw open while Sulpicia kept pouring more and more down my throat until I choked down a large amount.

"Let me give her the shot and then take her back to her dorm room; by the time she remembers this it will be too late." Sulpicia ordered as I sputtered in their arms.

I felt a pinch in my neck before everything went black.

**XXxxXXxxXX**

**Huh. Wrote that much faster than I thought I would have. I know I said I'd be updating this or something else next, but I honestly didn't think the next **_**day**_**. What a pleasant surprise, eh?**

**So, review! What's happening? What do you think is happening? How about the drama with Alice and the others? What's up with Sulpicia, is she crazy, or is there a little story there? Have suggestions for the plot, story, characters, etc? Leave them in a comment or PM!'**

**Have a good one, guys.**

**-Paige.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I also don't own the House of Night series or anything of theirs. Those belong to Stephanie Meyer, P.C and Kirsten Cast.**

**Rated: T.**

**Author: Paige Turner.**

**Summary: AU. 'I didn't know how or why; but this pixie looking girl was different from everyone else. Even the people at **_**this**_** school, at that was saying something.' A/B R&R!**

**BELLA**

"How are you _still_ sleeping?" Rosalie's annoyed yet slightly concerned voice sounded over my head. Of course, accompanied by her roughly shaking my shoulder again.

An incomprehensible noise escaped from my lips as I turned onto my other side, away from her. Sleep still clung to me and I had hoped of hiding in its comfort for a little while longer, at least until I felt able to get up under my own power. As it was; I didn't feel much for getting up at that point. My head was throbbing with a headache like you wouldn't believe, my throat ached, and my gut wouldn't settle. I just needed a little longer, a few more hours to get into tip top shape. I must have stayed up longer than I thought last night, or maybe ate something bad. Got food poisoning.

My brows furrowed as I dug through my memory, trying to locate the events of the previous night. But it was all… murky. Fuzzy and not all there, like big pieces were missing.

Was I hungover? Did I drink last night? Was I still wasted?

Rosalie sighed, pulling the blankets back. "Get out of bed, emo. You're going to be late for class." I grunted, reaching out blindly for my glasses and slipped them on, squinting up at the tall blonde. She pursed her lips, cocking her head to the side. "Are you feeling alright, Bella? You look…" Her eyes widened, panic filling them. "You're alright, right? Are you okay? Do you feel okay? Should I get Esme? Can you stand?"

"Shut up," I hissed, wincing and sat up to rub my forehead. "For one second and I could give you an answer." She looked at me expectantly and I sighed, running a hand through my hair and rolling my shoulders. "I'm fine; just a little headache. I don't think I slept well last night."

"Oh," She sighed, her posture relaxing. "Okay. Right. Well, get dressed, and try some colour today; you're over using black lately. Emo…" She muttered, turning back to her dresser and going through her jewellery.

Rolling my eyes, I stood up out of bed and swayed, blinking the dizziness from my head. I ignored Rosalie's eyes on me and grabbed a towel, heading out of the room and for the showers at the end of the hall. Kate ducked her head as she passed me, avoiding eye contact, and I felt a pang of regret. This morning was different from the others. I felt…well, I felt. There was no emotionless void anymore. I felt, and I felt like crap. In every sense of the term. Physically, I was sure I was going to pass out. My headache throbbed in time with my pulse, the dizziness came back with every few steps, my gut was churning and flip-slopping, my throat felt cracked, and I was short of breath. Besides that; I was mentally exhausted still and couldn't keep a solid string of thoughts up; it hurt too much. I was lonely and really wanted to go find Eve; she always made me feel better.

I was too upset to be upset.

What the hell is that, man?

"Are you okay, Bella?" Angela's voice made me look up as she smiled feebly. Cautiously.

_And hello to you too, Guilt._

"Hey, Angela." I mumbled, trying to convey my apology through looks and voice. "I'm fine. A little tired. How… um, how are you?" I asked, awkwardly scratching the back of my neck as I stood outside the door to the showers.

Feeling more comfortable, Angela smiled genuinely. "I'm good, thank you. So you're feeling better, then?"

"I'm feeling… _something_, that's for sure." I nodded.

She continued to smile before gasping, slapping her forehead with a smile. "You need to shower, don't you? Sorry, I'll let you get to it. See you in class, Bella." She waved, walking back down the hall.

"Bye, Angela." I said softly, watching the other girl scamper back down the hallway with a happy chip on her shoulder.

Rosalie was, surprisingly, still in the dorm room when I got back. She was lounging back against her headboard, flipping through a magazine while she hummed to herself. I blushed as her intense green eyes met my own as I entered the room, pulling my towel tighter around myself. She raised an eyebrow, tilting the magazine back to look me over, smirking as I blushed more. "Well, well, look whose experiencing emotions once again. This is embarrassment, lest you have forgotten."

"Har har." I muttered with a sneer, walking over to the dresser I was using and started going through my clothes. "Shouldn't you be on your way to class, or hiding in a closet making out with Emmett right now?"

She flipped the page in her magazine, going back to it to give me some privacy. "Nope. I'm stuck with baby sitting duty."

"Babysitting duty?" I repeated, something about it striking familiar with me. I pulled on undergarments and grabbed a pair of black slacks with red pinstripes.

Rosalie sighed, turning another page. "Yes, babysitting duty. I've got to watch you."

"And why is that?" I asked, doing up the belt around my waist.

"I can't rightly say," She replied, bored.

Finally I turned to face her when I had a red button up covering me, staring at my hands as I did up the buttons. You wouldn't believe how many times I missed one of those suckers. Quite annoying, really. "Why can't you?"

"'Cause you're a worry wart and would freak?" She supplied, giving me a sickly sweet smile. Her smile faded slightly though as she got serious again. "Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

_Not even a little bit._ "I said I'm fine. I don't need you, of all people, worrying about me and making a big fuss over nothing." I snapped, grabbing a black tie.

"Whatever," She growled back, grabbing her books as she got to her feet. "Just tell someone if you're feeling sick, okay? We don't need you keeling over in class."

"The way I hear it; there's nothing anyone can do anyways." I mumbled, following her out of the room.

If you're doomed, then you're doomed. There wasn't anything anyone could do to save you.

**XXxxXXxxXX**

"Are you feeling quite well, Miss Swan?" Carlisle asked, pausing mid sentence, halfway through his lecture. My cheeks flushed as everyone glanced back at me, some of them slightly panicked and freaked.

I looked up into Carlisle's concerned eyes, nodding. "Yes, I'm good. Just a bit of a headache and upset stomach, thanks." I said, as quietly as possible while trying not to look at all the people staring at me. "I think I ate something last night, and it just won't settle."

"But you're not feeling _ill_, correct?" He clarified, holding the back of his hand against my forehead. He frowned, no doubt not being able to tell if I was or not. It wasn't like he'd feel the fever; I was constantly hotter than most fevered people.

"I'm _great_." I growled, crossing my arms over my chest. "I wish people would stop asking, though." It was starting to worry me. Maybe I wasn't fine. Maybe I was sick. Something was wrong. Or maybe my body was rejecting-

No!

I wasn't sick. I'd know if I was rejecting the Change. I'd feel it, somehow, other than illness. Surely people could, at the very least, _feel_ Death at their door. This was just a lack of sleep, nothing more, nothing less.

Carlisle studied my face for a moment or two, still frowning, but nodded and continued on with his lecture. He continued to glance back at me now and then throughout the class though.

**XXxxXXxxXX**

I sighed for the umpteenth time that class, doodling in my notebook as I listened to the Professor go on and on and on about… wait, what was he talking about? My goodness! He had been talking about the same thing for so long in the monotone voice that I tuned out, now I had gone and forgot exactly what I was tuning out to begin with! Which made you wonder, really, how that was possible. I mean, he was an adult vamp. Full on Vampyre, man. Alluring looks, voice, etc; everything about him was supposed to draw people in. So why, _why_, could no one seem to focus on what he was saying? It had to be the topic of whatever he was talking about, had to be.

Sighing again, I rested my elbow on my desk and my chin in my palm, lazily glancing around the room. I wasn't used to sitting way back here in the corner by the window, usually I was on the other side of the room with Eve. But now I was alone, bored out of my mind, and starting to regret again. Maybe I was just being over sensitive about the whole situation? That wasn't me, flipping out and snapping at everyone around me at the drop of a hat. I wasn't some extremely emotional person.

Sure, Alice's rejection hurt. Obviously.

And yes, the fact that they had all led me to believe things would have been different, and gave me false hope only to watch it be ripped away from me, _was_ grounds for being mad at them.

And it _did_ make me wonder if they really were my friends, good friends, or if they did it all for sick entertainment at my expense, being the unexperienced new chick.

But still, I… I _really_ lost it. And the things I said to Esme.

They were just _mean_. I was rude, and for me that was… horrible. Rudeness wasn't something I tolerated, and I tolerated a lot from a lot of different people, but being rude just to hurt someone, just to _be rude_ was… disgusting. It actually disgusted me.

I groaned quietly, letting my face fall forward to smack my forehead on my desk. No one seemed to notice.

Really, I treated all of them horribly. But the others never really stuck around long enough for me to say or do what I did to Esme. They gave me the space that I had insinuated I wanted. Which, you know, was nice. While I was being a jerk. Crap.

It didn't feel like me, though. The passed week, or so, felt… weird. I couldn't control myself. It felt like someone was pulling my emotional strings. I mean, yeah my heart was broken after losing Jake and Leah, but that was it. Broken. I wasn't heart_less_. Like I had been acting to them.

Double crap.

But it wasn't like I could do anything about it at this point, even if I wanted to.

_'Yeah, really sorry about flipping out and treating you guys like crap, didn't feel like myself for a while there. That makes it okay, right?'_

The other problem there was… I didn't want to apologize. I didn't _want_ to fix it. There was some small, dark part of me that still felt like they deserved it, that revelled in the way I was acting and treating them.

Ugh, I felt like I was missing something. Something big. Something-

"Agh!" I screamed, jumping in my chair. A few people around me jumped, the rest all whirling around to look at me with alarm. The Professor raised an eyebrow as I blushed, sinking lower in my seat. "Sorry, I just… um, there was a spider. Nasty little buggers." I muttered.

They all slowly got back to their work, the Professor going back to his lecturing while I looked back out the window. I felt the corner of my mouth curve up, staring at the snow man that was cupping its eyes, leaning against the window to look inside.

Whoever did that totally deserved a high five.

Got me good.

**XXxxXXxxXX**

The library on House grounds was actually _very_ nice, and I regretted not stopping by sooner. I was a reader, an avid reader, actually, and while still human had spent many lunch hours cooped up in the library. The smell of old paper and ink was welcome as I took a deep breath, listening to the quiet crinkling of pages as people flipped through their books, feeling the sturdy, coolness of the hard covers as I ran my fingers along the spines, all the way down to the end of the shelf.

Unlike other classrooms and whatnot of the House, the library was kind of dark. However, our sight was stronger and more clear than humans, and we had very little to no trouble seeing and, therefore, reading. There was no artificial lighting, instead small torch looking lights spaced on the walls throughout the large room. Very medieval, much like everything else around here. All the long and tall islands and shelves of books made this room into more of a labyrinth of paper and ink, with old, polished oak tables here and there, the floor kind of echo-y, actually. I could hear everyone every time they stepped, and I wondered if that would be distracting while reading, or not.

Gathering my wits about me and shaking my head from all the distracting thoughts, I began to skim through books, making my way to the very back. I was looking for something particular, something I should have been concentrating on for a while now. Instead I had gotten caught up in all of this… drama, with Alice and the others.

Stupid of me.

_This_ is what I was supposed to be doing.

"Werewolves?" Another fledgling asked, appearing out of, seemingly, nowhere. He had short, black hair that was just barely long enough to hang in his eyes and completely cover his outline Mark. I would have called him emo, had the label 'jock' not fit more adequately. He reminded me of Emmett, very much, though not _quite_ as muscular like the Warriors. His muscles were longer, rather than bulkier, as was he; a little taller than Emmett himself. His clear blue eyes regarded me curiously before looking away quickly. I felt myself stepping back into one of the shelves, dipping my head to try and catch his eyes again.

There was… something in them. Hunger, or something, that looked so familiar but I couldn't place.

I cleared my throat, looking away down the aisle to try and spot a Professor, or even another fledgling. I suddenly didn't feel like being alone with him. "Um, yeah, just kind of curious, you know? Vampyres, why not werewolves too?"

The corner of his mouth curved up into a grin as he stared at his feet, revealing _large_ looking fangs. Larger than any I'd seen around here before, that put me on edge even more. But I noticed, no matter how uncomfortable I was _around_ him, _he_, himself, wasn't making me uncomfortable. It was like… the air he carried held something… sinister. Like a dark cloud following him. "That would be cool."

My brows drew together as I scrutinized this older fledgling, crossing my arms over my chest. "What's your name?"

He scratched the back of his neck, his blue eyes meeting mine again for a moment. "Milo," He replied, almost meekly. It was weird, seeing such a large…_strong_ looking person all uncertain and nervous.

No, not nervous.

Guilty.

"What's the matter, Milo?" I asked, though my voice carried a bite that wasn't lost on him, as he flinched.

He shook his head, looking away again. "Nothing-"

But it was too late, I already saw.

With that shake of his head, he shook his hair out of his eyes and away from his Mark.

The blood red, outline of a crescent moon.

I stumbled back farther, knocking some books down to the floor and creating a clatter. The images from the Training Hall that one night all came rushing back; the empty, black eyes and cruel smirks, the cold, statue like Vampyres attacking me.

"You!" I growled, jerking forward to shove him into a shelf so I could run and find help. But like those other… monsters, he didn't budge. It was like pushing on the stone walls. His eyes widened and he took a step backwards, holding up his hands and shaking his head with wide eyes. But my cold indifference was melting into a burning anger as I summoned my element and hurled a ball of fire at him. Milo fell back into a table, letting out a feral snarl of fright. I was stunned at how much it, too, sounded like it came from some wild cat, like a lion. He ripped off his school blazer, letting the burning article of clothing fall to the table before he blurred off down another aisle.

I stood there panting, from exhaustion or fear, I wasn't sure. Could have been either, at this point, and I _did_ feel a little winded.

Which only scared me more; I had barely done anything other than summon my element and throw the fire.

Slowly, I sunk to the floor, staring numbly at the burning blazer on the table. I raised my hand, taking a breath, and then squeezed it into a fist, watching the flames quickly die out, and the smoke float into the air.

Something was wrong.

**XXxxXXxxXX**

"So you're saying that it _is_ possible." I repeated, frustrated.

Professor Lexi sighed, rubbing her eyes tiredly. Her long, blonde hair hung low to her waist, the sapphire of her filled in Mark and swirls framing her sapphire eyes. She shook her head, flopping down into her chair behind her desk, and shuffled through some papers she was grading. "What I am saying, Miss Swan, is that it would be… unintelligent of anyone, Vampyres especially, to just _assume_ there isn't. There is nothing to support either opinion, whether there is or not." I wiped the sweat from my forehead, closing my eyes as the room began to spin again. "But I also do not think it is wise to go chasing slight possibilities. Especially not at your age; perhaps when you graduate."

I could feel my blouse sticking to my back, and loosened my tie even more to undo the top couple of buttons. "But if Werewolves _do _exist, then I think _someone_ should be trying to do something. Are they dangerous? Not? Do they need our support, the new outcasts of society, discriminated against by humans? We have our Houses, but what if they don't? You know how violent humans can be."

She nodded. "I understand where you're coming from, Miss Swan, and I worry of that as well. But until there is more solid proof saying that they do exist, we cannot take an action. Not as much as you're looking for; the best you or I could do would be to petition Shekinah, the High Priestess of _all_ Houses." Professor Lexi cocked her head to the side, concern filling her face. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." I grumbled, grabbing my books and blazer, tucking them all under my arm. "Thank you for your time." Bitterness at the lack of progression I had made seeped into my voice as I bowed slightly and left her classroom. I stormed down the halls until I made it outside, pausing to look up at the large, night sky.

This was all _impossible_. There were no books, nothing other than fiction and fantasy, on or about Werewolves. And the internet? Forget about _that_ idea; it was no help at all. Not unless I wanted to spend the rest of my life searching for legitimate sources. And now, the _one_ person I thought could help me, says there was nothing we could do.

Perhaps Esme would be better help…

No!

I couldn't go to her for help. I wouldn't; not with everything that had happened.

Annoyance welled up in me as my eyes took in familiar bronze hair on a bench down the sidewalk a ways. I could also see spiky black hair next to him, and scowled at the two. All day, _someone_ from that group; Eve, Rosalie, Jasper, Edward, etc, had been around. It was like they were all… spying on me. I wasn't sure if they knew I knew, or not, but I was getting sick of it.

Why were they all following me around? It was weird.

Growling under my breath, I began my trek towards the dinning hall for lunch. I was hungry, starving really - it felt like my stomach had lava in it, and needed something to take my mind off of all this Werewolf, weird stalking, business.

The noise of every talking and laughing and fooling around with their friends while they ate, assaulted my ears when I entered. I winced, shaking my head and made my way to the lunch line. Everything had been… too much the entire day. Every sound making my head throb, every sight scorching my eyes, every smell making me feel ill, like my stomach was ripping apart, every touch like a hot poker against my skin.

And now, all of it was coming together, in one _giant_ finale.

Yes, finale.

The denial that I was fine, that I just ate something that didn't settle, or didn't sleep well, it was all gone. Replaced by the truth.

I was _sick_. Worse than sick.

Rejecting the Change?

And all I could do as the pain became over whelming and turned into a numb cloud of nothing, was stare at the red apple on my tray.

"Come on, move it along; we're hungry!" Someone complained from behind me in the line.

There was shuffling, someone poking me to try and get my attention. "Hey! You moving, or what? We don't have all day here."

"I'm hungry, move the line!"

A small, almost inaudible cry left my lips and my hands clenched on my tray, wanting to be holding my stomach instead. A burning began, like fire spreading throughout my belly, melting everything in sight.

"Move!"

"Wait, don't touch her."

"What's happening up there?"

"Are you okay?"

"Lunch is almost over!"

Another cry left me, my eyes locking onto the small crimson drop that fell from my lips, down onto my tray. _Blood._ The burning finally reached my throat and finally, _finally_, my body jump started into motion. Unfortunately, not any motion I was comfortable with or wanted to do, like, say - _scream for help_, tell someone I was rejecting the Change, run to the hospital, etc. But, instead, I started heaving and coughing, choking on the burning and aching.

Everyone else in line all jumped back, no more complaints, but faces of horror staring, now frozen, at me.

My lungs started to sting, the lack of oxygen from all the coughing starting to affect me. I doubled over, the lunch tray somewhere on the floor that was splattered with crimson.

"No - _No!_" I wasn't sure whose scream it was, but it was piercing and heartbreaking. Hands were on my back then, unable to do anything but frantically grab at me or pat my back, like I had just swallowed something the wrong way. Tears streamed down my face, my hands shooting out to the floor as I fell to my knees. Everything was red and wet, there was too much blood it was making me dizzy. "Help! Someone help! _Esme_!"

_"BELLA!"_

That voice I recognized as Eve's and out of the corner of my eye I could see her fall to her knees on the other side of me. "E-ghfff!" I choked out, heaving again until blood was coming up. This was some sick, horror of a nightmare. A bad, B rated movie with too much red paint.

"Bella, no, please, no. Just breathe, just take a breath, please, Bella. No, don't do this…" Eve was balling, her hands patting my back and pulling my hair out of my face.

My vision started getting black spots while I dragged in more air, my muscles feeling like jelly.

Suddenly I was flipped over, on my back and in someone's warm arms, staring up at the ceiling. Warm brown eyes met mine, caramel hair framing her heart shaped face, and even though I could still, barely, feel myself choking up blood, I felt a little better. Esme was here.

True, there was nothing she could do, but I felt safe in her arms.

She was crying though; it was the oddest thing to see. Her brown eyes were puffy and red, tears pouring down her cheeks like a broken faucet. She kept shaking her head, like she couldn't comprehend what she was seeing, and held me tighter. "No, this can't be… this isn't right… not you, Bella… no…"

It seemed the only thing anyone could say.

_No._

I cried out, my hand gripping my stomach like an alien was about to explode from it. What was _wrong_ with it? I was perfectly healthy, completely fine just yesterday, and now I felt like I had a belly full of acid-

_A girl pinched my nose, prying open my mouth and holding my head steady as I continued to try and thrash around. Sulpicia came back into view, holding a large glass vile. "Esme will regret the day she stole my House and my High Priestess position." She snarled, pouring the liquid into my open mouth._

_I coughed and choked on it, trying to spit it out and close my mouth, but the girl held my jaw open while Sulpicia kept pouring more and more down my throat until I choked down a large amount._

_"Let me give her the shot and then take her back to her dorm room; by the time she remembers this it will be too late." Sulpicia ordered as I sputtered in their arms._

_I felt a pinch in my neck before everything went black._

My eyes widened, everything from last night finally clear again. "No-ghf!" I squeezed my eyes shut and took a deep breath, trying to swallow the mouth full of rusty, metallic tasting liquid. "Sul…Sulpicia…"

"Alice, no, let Esme help her." Edward's voice caught my attention and I turned, trying to find him amongst the blurry shapes. I could see his bronze hair again and blinked, his form more clear. His eyes were red, like everyone else's, his face grim as he held a struggling, sobbing Alice. Past all the tears and crying, her face was fierce and ablaze while she struggled in his arms, clawing at his hands as she reached for me. Her lips were moving, but I couldn't hear a thing she was saying.

Cole and Raven were next to them, Cole holding Raven while she buried her face in his shoulder. He looked so sad, my heart clenched, while he wiped his eyes. And next to them, Rosalie had her hand on Jasper's shoulder while he shook, looking heartbroken. I couldn't stand to watch him and looked back up into Esme's face, trying again. "Sulp…icia… d-did…" Every noise I made was followed by a cough or choking, and I could feel myself getting weaker and weaker.

Fading away into nothing.

"She's coming, Bella. She's on her way, just hang in there." Esme cried, stroking my hair comfortingly.

With great challenge, I shook my head. "V-vial… forced me…ungh!…Felix…"

Her brows furrowed and she wiped the tears from one of her cheeks. "I don't understand. How do you know Felix?"

"Everyone stand back. You too, Esme." Perhaps it was because of what she said last night, or maybe I was finally just paying attention, but I could hear the venom she put into Esme's name as Sulpicia pushed her way through the crowd.

I reached for Esme as she got up, setting me into the witch's arms instead, shaking my head. "No-please…"

"There, there, dear one," Sulpicia cooed. Her dark hair fell down over her shoulder, creating a curtain she hid behind from everyone else. It was then I saw her cruel smirk; the excitement in her eyes. "This will dull the pain and put you to sleep."

"No…" I tried to swat away the small white vial, but I was too weak. "Alice, stop h-ughf…" I choked as she forced it to me.

"Don't _touch_ her, you bitch!" Alice's snarl, though nothing like Milo's, was scary in itself.

Esme quickly spun around and caught the small pixie who finally managed to launch herself from Edward's grasp. "Alice," She gasped.

"Don't let her, Esme, she's _killing_ Bella!"

My hands fell to my sides, a wave of… of weight laying on me. I couldn't move, no matter how hard I tried!

"I'm helping her, Miss Cullen, I suggest you show some respect." Sulpicia hissed.

There was a scuffle of some sort and I fell from her lap to the floor, my eyelids fluttering and head throbbing.

"No you're not," Rosalie's voice was ice. "Get away from her _now_."

"Everyone calm down," Esme reasoned, her voice loud and authoritative.

Another, cold pair of arms pulled me into their lap and then chest, hugging me tightly to them as best they could. I would have freaked if they weren't soft and familiar. "Bella, please don't leave me." Eve whimpered. "You can't reject the Change."

"Take the kids away from here; I want this place cleared out." Esme ordered. More Professors must have come. "They shouldn't watch this."

"Get rid of this last one and I will take Miss Swan's body to the basement."

"_Sulpicia_," Esme hissed, crouching down next to us. "Eve, honey, come with me."

"No, you can't take her!"

"Sweetie, come on; let's get you cleaned up."

Eve held on tighter. "She has tattoos! Her Mark is filled! She has an affinity; she _can't_ reject the Change!"

How I wished I could tell them, scream to them that I wasn't rejecting it. But that Sulpicia had poisoned me, or something. Gave me something that would eat through my stomach and create all this blood; very similar in appearance to rejecting the Change.

The numb cloud reached my head, all the noise getting muffled.

"Come on, honey…and let her work…so sorry I couldn't…"

And then everything went black.

**XXxxXXxxXXxxXX**

I gasped, my eyes shooting open as I sprang into a sitting position. My hand clutched at my frantically beating heart while I heaved in air, trying to calm down and gather myself about.

Where was I?

Stone walls… concrete floor… metal table… flickering florescent light?

This looked like the scene of some bad horror flick.

Honestly, my life was _so_ cliche.

The hairs on the back of my neck prickled and I tensed, looking up and around. The room was fairly dark, even with the light, but I could make out a door on the other side. I was just about to swing my legs off the metal table and head there, when two figures stepped out of the shadows in the corner of the room. My heart drooped and I was struck with fear at the sight of Sulpicia who was absolutely beaming, grinning ear from ear. I gasped again, looking down to my clothes, taking in all the blood soaked into them.

It wasn't a dream.

As if that was the trigger, the pain in my stomach came screaming back at me and I cried out, grabbing it.

"Hush, dear, I will end your pain." Sulpicia cooed, cupping my cheek. I turned away from her hand. "I've been waiting so long for this moment; Aro will be so pleased…"

I didn't have time to question her as I locked onto a pair of clear, guilt filled, blue eyes. Milo, again, could barely look at me and I finally knew why. "I'm sorry, Bella… I was going to warn you earlier, but-" Sulpicia slapped the back of his head and he stopped abruptly, looking up to her. She nodded at him and he sighed, his shoulders slumping. The was a short moment of silence before he rolled his shoulders, tilting his head side to side. I watched, with awe, as dark circles appeared under his eyes, shadows framing them as a vibrant red rings appeared around each pupil. I couldn't look away as he transformed from the nervous, guilty boy into this dark, feral vampire.

He let out an animalistic snarl before lunging at me and I screamed as razor sharp fangs bit into my neck.

**XXxxXXxxXX**

**THAT took some time, guys.**

**Wow.**

**My **_**freaking**_** bad, brah.**

**So… yeah. I'm not really sure why that took so long, nor why it was so hard-**

**That's what she said.**

**-but it is what it is, right? Not too sure if I like it or not, feels kind of rushed, but what can you do… you know, other than re-try and make y'all wait even longer. I wouldn't do that to ya, though.**

**So review please. :) What are your thoughts on everything? On Milo? Like him so far? Hate him? Don't care?**

**-Paige.**

**P.S**

**How many of you are aware about PIPA and SOPA? I don't know too much, as someone has very rudely pointed out recently, but here's the basics:**

**They plan to shut down sites that "contain or link to copywriter material"so that would be THIS site, or other popular ones like the "Cyanide and Happiness" web comic, "Questionable Content" web comic, or "Deviant Art", etc etc. It's an American bill that they're trying to make into a law, so as a Canadian I can't do much other than spread the awareness of it to you guys, some of which are probably American. **

**I'm not going to hound you and demand you do something, but I'm asking you to just take a look at it, read about it and how it will affect you (like no longer being able to come here for Bellice goodness) and decide if you want to do something.**

**-Alright, I'm out for real now - and I'll try to hurry on the next update.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I also don't own the House of Night series or anything of theirs. Those belong to Stephanie Meyer, P.C and Kirsten Cast.**

**Rated: T.**

**Author: Paige Turner.**

**Summary: AU. 'I didn't know how or why; but this pixie looking girl was different from everyone else. Even the people at **_**this**_** school, at that was saying something.' A/B R&R!**

**BELLA**

"…she is _fascinating_. Sulpicia, my dear, you did a wondrous job."

"-not even a little concerned about her Markings or filled in moon, master? I don't like this."

"_Someone_ sounds jealous…steal your thunder?"

"Think of her potential, Jane… is _immune_ to fire…"

My eyes shot open as the muffled voices finally awoke me from my unconscious stupor, each word they said suddenly becoming sharp and clear. The ceiling above me was unfamiliar, smooth and black with a grand, brass ceiling chandelier in the middle. Every detail seemed to jump out at me, screaming for attention all at once. High definition to go along with my surround sound hearing? I took a deep breath, my eyes widening at the assault of different scents and smells. I could practically taste, never mind _smell_, the brass of the chandelier; metallic and almost rusty, like I licked a penny. I could smell oak, and assumed that was the wood used to build this building. Fresh paint, though looking at it I knew it had been months, if not years, since the last paint job in this room. And lastly, Gain laundry detergent. Original, if I was correct. My fingers twitched, the smoothness of silk rubbing against my fingertips. I could feel every fold, every detail, every thread.

…

Okay, maybe not every _thread_, but my touch was just as sensitive as all the other senses, and my mind was whirling on reasons for why.

Slowly, I pushed myself up into a sitting position, examining my surroundings and trying to figure out where the hell I was. However, everything was foreign to me, and _very_ expensive. All the walls were painted black, making the room feel darker than it probably was, and the furniture all red. Like the grand, queen sized bed I was currently sitting in, with crimson silk sheets and about fifty pillows. It was one of those fancy ones, too, with the bed posts that seem to reach the ceiling; the ones that always made me feel like I was back in a crib. There was a sofa and a couple of comfy, cushion chairs around the room, with stained wooden night stands and small tables. A giant book case lined one of the walls, filled to the brim, with glass windows and a glass door on another, leading out to a small balcony. Old, expensive, and antique looking lamps were on some of the small tables, a grand wardrobe in the corner of the room.

Why was I in some rich dude's bedroom?

I sighed, reaching up to take off my glasses and rub my eyes tiredly at all this confusion. Imagine my surprise when I found I wasn't wearing my glasses. That left me with one giant question… how the _hell_ was I seeing so well? I-I needed to get out of there, to find someone, get help or something. I threw my legs over the side of the bed-

And crashed into the book case across the room, smashing one of the shelves and watched as dozens of books fell to the floor. My eyes widened and my jaw dropped in astonishment. How did I move that fast? My chest started heaving up and down as I hyperventilated, staring at my hands like they were tentacles and the bed like it was the boogyman himself. What was happening to me?

Across the room and next to the bed, the large oak door swung open. A tall man stood in the doorway, his hair only a little shorter than mine and the colour of ink. It made his skin look even more pale than it probably was, his features sharp and defined, giving him a distinguished look. His eyes, wise and grey, gave me the creeps though. The way he was looking at me… like I was some prized dog or special trophy… it was scaring me. The sapphire moon on his forehead was completely filled in, with intricate swirls framing those frightening eyes. My heightened eye sight easily took in the small details, something I wouldn't have been able to do before; sharp knots both large and small, spaced throughout. He was an adult Vamp.

Next to him stood two younger vampires. One I recognized right away as Milo; his clear blue eyes widening upon seeing me, his hair was styled and brushed this time instead of hanging in his face all messy like last time. I could see the blood red outline of his Mark. Beside him was a girl I had never seen before, which made me wonder why she was glaring at me so intensely. I hadn't ever done anything to her. Her hair was much shorter than other fledglings, which I assumed she was given her own red outlined Mark. It only just passed her shoulders, a pale brown, that she quickly tied up into a pony at the back of her head, sneering at me. I stared at the large fangs that, like Milo, she had. Her eyes were a dark brown that looked almost black, constantly narrowed at me and watching my every move like an eagle.

The man stepped into the room, the other two flanking him silently. He grinned at me, revealing much smaller fangs than the others. "Hello, dear Bella." He said in a thick, Italian accent. "I cannot tell you how _excited_ I am to finally meet you."

My brows furrowed. "Who are you?" I internally gasped, my eyes widening again. My voice… it sounded like bells! How ironic…

The man chuckled. "I imagine you are quite surprised, and probably a little confused as well. My name is Aro, your new master."

A rumbling started erupting from my chest, and if a burning rage hadn't suddenly over come me I probably would have freaked at the _growling_ I realized it was. "Do I look like a dog to you?" My voice was hard and sharp, like the crack of a whip.

The shorter girl smirked. "Certainly sound like one."

Aro turned to glare at her. "Hush." I watched as she flinched back, like he slapped her, and bowed her head. He turned back to me with a patient smile. "Bella, look around you. Look what I've done for you; this is _your_ room, _your_ bed, _your_ books, and _your_ clothes. I've given you strength, speed, agility, a new, _better_, life. I've given you _power_. All I ask in return is your complete and utter loyalty and obedience."

I shook my head, the vibrating in my chest fading. "I didn't ask for any of this."

Aro sighed, rolling up the sleeve of his black button up. "That doesn't change anything, my dear. But I can see you won't just give me what I want, so I will have to _take_ it for myself." My face scrunched up in confusion as I watched him lift up his arm, his wrist facing the ceiling. He reached into his pocket with his other hand and took out a small, silver razor, dragging it across his wrist.

I felt like gagging or screaming in horror at first. All the crimson blood rushing to the surface, spilling over down his white skin, dripping to the floor. Milo and the girl both jerked, but stayed in place, the whites of their eyes darkening to a black as they stared at the blood. I didn't understand until I breathed in again; the sweet, seductive aroma in the air reaching my nostrils. My throat exploded in flames, white hot burning scorching me and driving me into a frenzy. Thoughts left me, instinct taking over, and I heard that snarl again. Like a lion. But this time I knew it came from me.

Again, I was cross the room before I could even blink, latching onto Aro's wrist.

In my gut, deep down passed the hunger and burning, I knew that I had just made a _grave_ mistake.

But right then, as his thick, warm blood soothed the fire in my throat; I couldn't find it in me to stop.

Couldn't find it in me to even care.

**XXxxXXxxXXxxXX**

**Eve**

Gone.

She was gone. Taken from them. _Stolen._ Never to return.

Eve still didn't understand how or why. Bella had _just_ been Marked. She had _just_ gotten to the House and started building her new life, only to have it all snatched out from under her so soon? The girl had an affinity! She was the missing element in the circle, for crying out loud. She completed them; their circle, their lives, the House, _everything_. She was what had been missing all those years. They had _finally_ found her.

Just to lose her again.

It wasn't fair.

It wasn't _fair._

Nyx had plans for Bella, hadn't she? All the odd Markings they all got when Bella joined the circle. The protective barrier. Did it all mean nothing? False security?

Eve hugged her knees tighter to her chest, her face buried in them as she sat on Bella's empty bed. The tears just wouldn't stop falling. Would they ever? Could she ever stop crying? It seemed doubtful at that point.

Her best friend was… gone. Forever. Eve was never really close to anyone in her life; she was alway… different. Not necessarily weird, there was nothing wrong with her, she seemed perfectly normal, especially when she was human. But she was just… different. She didn't really have friends back home in Canada; sure, she knew a lot of people, hung out with them at school and things like that. But no one she just talked to. Sat with and could just _be_. After her parents had practically disowned her when she was Marked and shipped her off to America, Eve had secluded herself from people. If her parents, the ones who birthed her, raised her, who were supposed to love her no matter what, were able to just drop her off on someone else's doorstep without so much as a "take care", then how could she expect other people to like her?

She met many people at the House; the Denali sisters were funny and she enjoyed talking with them a lot. Emmett was friendly and she liked hanging out with him; they always managed to have fun. Rosalie was scary, but she watched out for Eve. After all; Eve was the Water Element in her circle; it was her responsibility whether she liked it or not to watch out for her. She got along with Alice really well, even with the Dark Daughters rift between them. And if she had to name anyone as her friends, she supposed that Cole and Raven would have those titles.

Then Bella showed up in the infirmary one day.

She was socially awkward, terribly clumsy, and more reserved than Eve. However, Eve noticed from the start that Bella was genuine in everything she said and did. Honest. And incredibly nice; never judged anyone, didn't care what you looked like or how you acted. Eve could let down her walls; do the silliest, stupidest, most embarrassing thing she could think of, and Bella would just smile.

Bella was a best friend.

_But I just HAD to go and ruin it_, Eve thought to herself, peeking over her knees to glare at her own bed. The whole Alice drama… Eve felt bad about it, but she just couldn't help but hate Alice a tiny bit. "She said she liked Bella." She huffed, shaking her head. Why would she say that if she was just going to reject her in the end? Eve had pushed Bella, hinting and insinuating that she should make her move on the pixie, forced her out of her comfort zone, only to have it all blow up in Bella's face.

"No wonder she hated me." More tears spilled down Eve's pink cheeks.

_I can't even fix it now…_

**XXxxXXxxXXxxXX**

**Edward**

He watched in the reflection of the mirror as Jasper's scarred hands twisted the tie this way and that, folding it up and over, then around. It looked… mashed, actually. Like the Cowboy was strangling the material in his hands as he tied it.

Jasper forcefully slipped the tie around the back and down the front, glaring at the lopsided knot. He growled to himself, wrenching it loose and undone to try again. "This…_stupid_…tie… won't go!" He sighed, crumpling it in his fist and slammed his hand down on the bathroom counter. "I give up; I'm not wearing the damn thing."

Edward turned his boyfriend around to face him, taking in the puffy red eyes that made the irises look even more blue than usual. His blonde, wavy/curly hair was a mess from all the times Jasper had run his hands through it, tugging and pulling in frustration and grief. His broad shoulders were droopy, trembling every now and then with his effort of holding in his sobs. The tall fledgling looked exceptionally pale against all the black; his slacks freshly ironed, straight and crisp, shiny black dress shoes instead of his usual cowboy boots. His buckle was small and sleek, not a cowboy hat, his black button up tucked in. Edward sighed, popping the collar of the shirt and grabbed a new tie, hanging it around Jasper's neck as he began to tie it for him. "I really don't think she would mind if you didn't wear a tie to the service, Jazz. But I know you wanted to."

They both knew how much Bella had a thing for ties and suspenders; Edward had even scrounged up a pair of navy blue ones to wear.

He finished tying it, folding the collar down again and stepped back to assess the sad Cowboy. "You look good; she'd be proud."

Jasper's lips twitched again before he pressed the pads of his thumbs tight against his eyelids. He took a deep breath, in and out, before looking at Edward again. "Thank you," He murmur, his voice rough."For everything; helping me through this, setting up the service, and wearing those ridiculous suspenders. I know how much you hate them." He chuckled.

The sound was so sad it broke Edward's heart. "Anything for you and Bella, Jazz. Anything."

True, he was never that close with Bella. They spent more time fighting and arguing than anything else, much to everyone's annoyance. But Edward genuinely liked Bella; her mind was fascinating, the way she thought about things and saw the world. It was different. She was funny, too, and when they managed to get along, they got along great; sharing many interests. They even had the same taste in genre of books. With his gift, he knew just how much Jasper and Alice meant to Bella, and how she thought about them, and it meant a lot to him just how much she valued them.

When he found out she… rejected the Change, it turned his world upside down. Just thinking about never seeing her blush at the embarrassing things Emmett whispered jokingly in her ear, or knowing that she wouldn't ever just show up outside their door with Eve on her hip to hang out, tore him up. To never watch her blunder around when Alice smiled at her, or be able to appreciate the unexpected and surprising opinion she had on various things.

It was a gap that would never be filled. Always missing. A hole blatantly glaring at him forevermore.

He could only imagine how hard this had to be for Jasper. The first one of them to become friends with the fascinating brunette. He had noticed, over the months, the affect she had on Jazz. He had always been the one to keep Edward and Alice calm and balanced, he was their rock, the anchor while they rode the emotional roller coaster every fledgling had to endure. But he never had someone to do that for _him_, and Edward always wondered how he kept his cool. It wasn't uncommon for Jasper to… lose control and have emotional episodes after a while; everyone's emotions getting to him and making him snap. Edward always hated watching that happen to him.

When Bella came along, he soon realized that Jasper wasn't having that problem anymore. Any time things got to be too much for him, when he felt himself getting lost in everyone's emotions, he always went to see Bella. And Edward finally realized why; Bella was a calm and collected person. She had the uncanny ability to keep her emotions in check, and Jasper probably went to her when he needed that balance again.

It made the two very close, and Bella _very_ important to Jazz.

Now she was gone.

**XXxxXXxxXXxxXX**

**Rosalie**

There was something about funerals that always felt weird to Rosalie. She had been to a few during her life, and every time she felt… out of place. Standing in a group of weeping people, everyone a blubbering mess. It made her feel awkward, and she didn't like feeling awkward. She didn't like watching people fall apart like that, so vulnerable and open.

One thing she really hated about them was that she knew they judged her. She wasn't standing there, snotting and sobbing on herself; so she _must_ not have a heart. A cold, ice queen. Such a bad person.

It wasn't that she didn't care, because she really did, she just… couldn't let herself go like that. If any tears would be shed; it would be in a closed off room by herself, with no one to watch her fall apart like she watched them. She would not expose herself to others like they constantly did. If that made her an emotionless bitch, then so be it. She would rather they hate and fear her than pity her. Pity was for the weak, and Rosalie Lillian Hale _was not_ weak; she promised herself she would never be weak again. She _had_ to be strong; everything she had walked away from, survived, all the things Royce did.

It took someone strong to over come that.

She would not go back to being weak.

Vulnerable.

Exposed.

Emmett, sitting on the end of her bed with his head in his hands, sighed deeply. The big giant's shoulders were shaking, though so far he hadn't made a sound. Rosalie figured he was too embarrassed to cry in front of anyone, even her, but the puffy red eyes he had when she woke up that morning gave him away. His dog, Bear, was curled up at his feet, the enormous thing drooling. Rosalie let it slide this time.

Everyone seemed to be experiencing the loss of Bella, she noticed. It made her wonder if this was how everyone would react had it been her. Would everyone care as much? Would they care less because it was her? She knew that she didn't treat everyone… nicely, all the time. She was well aware of the fact that she had a reputation for being hard. Or mean, as Eve had pointed out a few times over the years. She couldn't picture anyone being too upset by her death, other than Emmett. As depressing as the thought was, she was okay with it. She knew she deserved it and accepted it, because she wasn't about to change who she was just so people would like her better.

She sighed as well, looking back into the mirror of her vanity. Her flowing, blonde hair was up in a bun, her dress form fitting and black, with matching heels and a funeral veil. Her moss green eyes regarded her reflection indifferently, her red lips in a firm line. Watching her reflection, she reached for her lip gloss, her fingers finding something different instead. She looked down, pausing as she stared at Bella's spare set of glasses. _That girl, always leaving her crap on my side of the room…_ She picked up the glasses, her frowning golden brows smoothing out as she sat back and cleaned the dust off with a kleenex.

With gentle care, she set the glasses back down on her vanity where they were, turning around on the stool she was sitting on. The things Bella brought with her that first night were still here; a pillow, her blanket, some clothes haphazardly thrown into the wardrobe, and some jewellery. Most of her things were back in her own room with Eve, and Rosalie knew she shoulder bring all of this to the constantly weeping girl. There was no reason for all of it to be here anymore; she was free of a roommate again. Could clear out that _ugly_ looking blanket, and that beaten pillow. Her tasteless clothes could finally stop offending Rosalie's eyes, and she could stop finding Bella's damn silver rings absolutely _everywhere_ in the room.

Yet, every time she decided to pack it all up in one heap and throw it down the hall in front of Eve's door, she found herself procrastinating. Putting it off. There was always… _something_ she could do first. Clean her side of the room. Visit Emmett and make sure he was doing okay. Meet with Edward to help set up the service. Or have a nap.

And so, the girl's things stayed.

"We should head out; it's going to start soon." She said into the silent room, walking over to Emmett and put her hand on his shoulder. He nodded, taking a deep breath before looking up at Rosalie. She felt her heart clench at the sight of the tears on his cheeks, kneeling down next to him and wiped them away. "It's going to be okay." She told him, leaning in to press her lips to his cheek. "I promise."

He gathered himself and stood up, wiping his eyes again and headed out the door and into the hall. Rosalie followed, pausing to close her door.

It _would_ be okay.

Somehow.

**XXxxXXxxXXxxXX**

**Alice**

Alice ignored the thousandth knock on her door. She knew who it was; Cole and Raven coming to see if she was okay. She hadn't left her room in three days, you'd _think_ people would take the hint. She didn't _want_ to talk to them, see them. She wanted to be left alone, and no one seemed to understand that, even when she screamed it at Edward. The mind reader, of all people. Today was the first time both him and Jasper had _finally_ gave her space, knowing they were in their own room getting ready for the service.

More tears sprang to her golden eyes that she squeezed shut. Her heart ached, like someone had grabbed it and was squeezing and squeezing. It made it hard to breathe, hard to think, hard to function.

She hugged Bella's pillow tighter to her chest, inhaling her strawberry/freesia scent deeply.

Alice wasn't sure if Eve was even aware it was missing from their room, didn't much care either. She needed something of Bella to hold onto; a life raft in her sea of pain and sorrow.

There was one thing she didn't understand, that had been nagging her in the back of her head for the passed three days.

How had it happened?

She told Rosalie of her vision and the two hadn't let Sulpicia _or_ Bella out of the sight since. Had she really just rejected the Change?

_No, my Bella was too important,_ She thought to herself. That _couldn't_ have been it, everyone thought so, but no one else had any idea it could actually be something else. They didn't know about Sulpicia and Alice's suspicions. She should have told Esme; if she did, maybe Esme could have done something. Checked on Sulpicia, found _something_, banned her from the House. Had Bella died because of Alice's own cowardice; the absence of her visions if she decided to tell someone. If it meant saving Bella she wouldn't have thought twice before going straight to Esme.

Now she was too late.

Too late for everything.

Too late to fix the mess she had caused.

She hadn't meant to, really, she hadn't. Alice had just let her insecurities and fear get to her; she was so worried about what Bella felt and thought after that kiss. She was a very hard person to read. Then she was so quiet, _too_ quiet, on the walk out of the dinning hall to talk about it. Alice had already started assuming the worst, terrible scenarios of rejection playing over and over in her mind all day, it became to much. She was so distraught she had barely been able to pay attention to Bella; not her body language, not her tone, she couldn't even bring herself to look the taller girl in the eye. Then her words…

_"You kissed me."_

They had gotten so twisted and morphed in her scared mind, no longer just stating a fact but accusing and harsh. Spat at her with disgust. Too many people had spoken to her like that before; she snapped. Lashing out at Bella, claiming she didn't mean to when all she wanted was to do it again. Saying she forgot who Bella was for a moment.

That just wasn't possible; she was too utterly aware of Bella whenever the blushing brunette was around. Constantly found herself thinking of her when she wasn't.

There just wasn't any forgetting Bella.

Edward had to set everything straight when she collapsed back in the booth in tears. He was such a good friend, racing off to fix it for her.

He was always trying to help her, the sweet boy.

But she had her vision before he left the hall; saw how angry and upset Bella was, saw how cold she would become. Distant. Empty.

Because of her.

Alice cried into the pillow, shaking her head. She wished she could go back in time. She would have traded _anything_ to go back in time and do it right; she'd even re-live those dreadful, horrific years in the asylum if it meant having a second chance at meeting Bella and starting over. She-

_"Do I look like a dog to you?" Bella hissed. But she was different, had changed. Her hair was much darker now, the deep red highlights were even darker. Her skin that had been so incredibly pale beforehand was white now; like the smooth skin of a porcelain doll and blemish free. Her school uniform was wrinkled and dirty, the front all stained and covered in dried blood, along with her hands and her chin, running down her neck. Her eyes flashed with her anger, the whites darkening to a black and her irises a bright, glowing red. Her lip curled up in a snarl, her fangs larger than before, looking dangerous. _

_She looked… wild. Frenzied. _

_"Certainly sound like one." Another voice piped in, cruel and amused. _

Alice gasped, jolting up on the bed. She sat there, unable to comprehend what she had just seen.

That was a vision. A vision of the future, things she had often. Well, not _often_, usually only important ones. She couldn't predict how she would do on a test or how long it would take Edward to fold all his laundry.

Still, that was the _future_.

With Bella.

A very different Bella, but still Bella. She had to tell Esme; she needed help this time.

Alice jumped out of her bed, throwing her wardrobe open to find something to wear to the service where Esme was. Jasper, Edward, and the others would be there as well. They'd believe her, wouldn't they?

She didn't care if they did or not, but they deserved to know.

**XXxxXXxxXXxxXX**

**Esme**

The night was clear, not a cloud in the sky to obstruct the moon light, the stars shining brightly. Though they were still just fledglings and more sensitive to the cold than she, none of the students seemed to be letting the winter chill stop them from attending the service. It warmed Esme's heart. She would have hated Edward and Rosalie going through all this trouble just to have no one show up.

Before the giant statue of Nyx, there was a long, grand table set up. In the very middle was a picture of Bella, and all around, down the length of the table, were different flowers everyone had brought. There were a few candles for her closest friends to light, all red for her affinity.

She smiled, wiping the tears from her eyes again. Carlisle wrapped his arm around her, holding her tight to him and offering comfort. He admired her ability to put on a smile and be strong enough to be here for everyone else and Bella, knowing that she had locked herself in her room for the passed three days, much like Alice. It was always tragic when a fledgling rejected the Change, and Esme took it bad each time. One of her students, a child under her care dying. She hated that she couldn't save them from it, and it tore at her every time. But this was different.

This was Bella.

This was the girl Esme had watched from the shadows, grow up. There wasn't a single special occasion or moment in Bella's life that she had missed. All her birthdays, Esme would make a trip to see her - always just barely managing to stop herself from leaving an anonymous birthday card on her step (she didn't want to _scare_ the girl), Christmas she would walk down the same street as Bella and chirp a happy "Merry Christmas" on her way, like most people did around the holiday. Frankly, Carlisle was surprised Bella never noticed.

How ecstatic she had been when Bella was Marked, so excited and nearly bouncing as she waited for the girl to wake up the first day.

"It's Eve," Carlisle murmured, nodding across the crowd of fledglings dressed in all black.

She stood out, always had, with her white hair. Her Markings now just made it more impossible to not see her.

Esme bit her lip, her own tears threatening to spill over at seeing Eve's. She couldn't decide if the small elf like girl was taking this the worst, or if Alice was. It was heartbreaking to watch them.

She glided through the crowd, leaving Carlisle's side to wrap her arms around Eve in a warm hug and comfort the girl. She needed it more than Esme did, at the moment.

Slowly, more from that group arrived. Edward with his arm wrapped tightly around Jasper who had a stone mask on, the two heading up to the front to light their own candles.

Emmett's hulking form was spotted next, his eyes still a little puffy. He seemed to be squeezing Rosalie's hand, her grip the only thing keeping him from falling apart, as they slowly made their way to the front as well. They exchanged looks with Edward and Jasper before lighting their candles.

Cole and Raven were already there, on the outskirts, but began moving through the crowd towards the front, too. Raven kept patting Cole's back as he furiously wiped at his eyes.

Esme didn't see Alice until she was there, taking Eve's hand and gently leading her through the group to the front so they could light their candles. There was something in her face, in her eyes, that hadn't been there before.

Hope.

Esme tilted her head to the side, assessing Alice as she hugged both Edward and Jasper. She watched as the pixie and bronze haired boy had a silent conversation; Edward's eyes widening in surprise.

There was no time to try and figure out what was going on, however, the service needed to start.

Once it was done and finished with, which was much later than Esme had originally thought. Emmett, surprisingly, had a lot of things to say about Bella. At the end there was a long moment of silence before all the kids started heading back to the dinning hall for supper. Esme stayed behind, even as the other Professors slowly left one by one. She stared at the picture on the table, closing her eyes and ducking her head as more tears escaped.

"High Priestess?"

She took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. "Yes, Alice?" She said, turning around to face the pixie. Her brows furrowed when she saw the others there, everyone curious as to what Alice was going to say. Jasper seemed anxious, as he probably felt her emotions, that hope. The others, Rosalie and Emmett, Eve, Cole and Raven, were all confused. Edward seemed to be the only one in on the loop, as he always was. "What is it?"

Alice looked around at the others, grabbing Jasper's hand and smiled a small smile. "I had a vision of Bella…"

**XXxxXXxxXXxxXX**

**I apologize for this one not being as long as the last chapter, guys. I did what I could, and this is what I got.**

**Everyone kind of wanted a chapter in Alice's POV but I don't really write in her POV very well, so I was stumped on how to do that. Then I thought of doing it in third person, and figured I could do everyone else as well so you can get a look into their feelings for Bella some more. And yes, this is KINDA technically a filler chapter, well, all the third person, but when someone dies you need to have a chapter of how everyone else deals with it. So it had to be done.**

**Review please, makes me feel good. **

**-Paige.**

**P.S - I'm dedicating this chapter to all you guys who stick with me, no matter how late my updates are. Your patience means the world, it really does. Specifically you guys who always have something really fantastic to say when I don't deserve it: B. Silverbow, Random Peep, AmUous, and Lynettecullen. Thanks guys.**

**And Dani, the speed at which I updated this is for you, because you friggin' humbled me with your comment. I feel kind of honoured, bro, that you like my stuff so much that you continue/started reading Bellice 'cause of little ol' me. **


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I also don't own the House of Night series or anything of theirs. Those belong to Stephanie Meyer, P.C and Kirsten Cast.**

**Rated: T.**

**Author: Paige Turner.**

**Summary: AU. 'I didn't know how or why; but this pixie looking girl was different from everyone else. Even the people at **_**this**_** school, at that was saying something.' A/B R&R!**

**BELLA**

**I didn't sleep.**

It had been thirty six and a half hours since I had "woken up" that first time in… in my room, as it now was, and since then I hadn't slept, not one wink. I didn't yawn, wasn't drowsy, my body didn't feel like it was about to crash from exhaustion, nothing. I was just awake, all the time, with this… endless energy that never wavered or dissipated, no matter what I did. Two hundred jumping jacks, one hundred curl ups, dozens upon dozens of push ups (freaking push ups!), and I still felt like I could run a marathon. Backwards.

It was driving me insane.

I felt like if I just went to sleep, just closed me eyes and drifted a bit; I'd wake up back in my dorm room at the House, Eve snoring across the room in her bed.

Everything would be normal. Okay. I'd escape this nightmare.

Yet there I was still, sitting on the small balcony outside the bedroom, my back pressed against the wall next to the glass door as I hugged my knees to my chest tightly. I had also been waiting a good while for the tears to fall; because I was definitely crying. All I could manage was a small, pathetic, dry sob. I was so confused and desperately wished that Aro would end his little meeting with Sulpicia soon.

He had left fairly quickly after the whole blood drinking thing. He was more pale than before and swayed on his feet; that girl had to catch him and hold him steady. He told me that he had a meeting with his brothers and Sulpicia to discuss things, and that afterwards, after I had time to calm down, he would send Milo back up to explain things to me. He said all this before he ordered me to not take a single step out of the room.

As soon as the door swung closed, I ran for the balcony and gripped the stone railing. I was just about the throw myself over the side, risking death just to get away from this horrible place, when my body froze. It wouldn't move any farther, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get my legs up and over the railing. They were firmly planted on the stone balcony, not even budging as I mentally screamed at them.

I had been waiting since then, for Milo.

Finally there was a quiet knock on the oak door. I hesitated, my ears picking up uneven, nervous breathing on the others side of it, and I slowly got to my feet. "Come in." I called softly, opting to stay on this side of the room. I stood behind one of the tall back, red cushioned chairs, my hands gripping the top as I eyed the door wearily.

Milo quickly slipped into the room, silently closing the door behind him. His hair was looking a tad messy again, though I imagined it was more from running his hands through it this time than trying to hide his Mark. As I suspected, a large pale hand ran through it again, pulling it back from his face. His clear blue eyes darted down to my shirt and pants, the fronts still stained with my blood, and then back up to my face. "You know you can change into clean clothes, right?" He asked.

My eyes flickered over to the large wardrobe and then back to the vampire. "Hygiene isn't exactly on the top of my priorities list right now; coming in right under figuring out what the _hell_ is wrong with me, and then getting the hell outta here and back to the House." I paused. "And maybe ripping Aro's throat out." A shiver of rage and pleasure ran down my spine, making me feel sick and excited at the same time.

Milo ducked his head, a hesitant smile pulling at his lips. "That's your anger."

Uh… duh.

He looked at my face and shook his head, taking a breath to explain. "No, I mean… it's your anger, but your anger isn't like everyone else's anymore. Irritation turns into anger for us, and anger turns into rage, all within seconds. We feel emotions in extreme depths; happiness turns to bliss, sadness into depression and sorrow. We feel more than people or Vampyres do." He said.

My mind whirled over his words, storing all the information immediately. It made sense, if I thought about it. I just had to picture that girl from earlier who had basically called me a dog, and like a flip was switched, I was seeing red and ready to rip off her head. "Well, I guess you're just going to jump right on in with the vampire lessons, aren't you?"

He bit his lip, gesturing to the chair I was standing, or rather hiding, behind. "Would you like to sit?"

I tensed as he took a step closer. "No… I think I'll stand." I said wearily.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Bella." Milo said sincerely.

But I wasn't born yesterday. "Yeah, well, my neck's still a little sore, Chompy." I shot back, reaching up to where he had bit me. I had gotten a good look at my reflection earlier, spent nearly an hour staring in disbelief. The bite was completely healed up, the only proof of it ever happening was the even more pale crescent scar.

He looked down to his feet in shame. "I'm so sorry. I… I had no choice."

"Dude, you totally could have taken Sulpicia; look at you!" I shouted. Didn't have a choice, my ass… he was a walking, talking statue; she wouldn't have been able to stop him from doing anything he wanted.

Milo ran his hands through his hair again, torment crossing his face. "I tried, but I couldn't. I had to, Bella. I drank her blood, there was nothing I could do to fight it." His outburst shocked me into silence and I flinched as his frenzied eyes looked up at me. "Just like you; you're bound by Aro's blood in your body to obey any command he gives, whether you like it or not. We're just puppets on strings for them."

"Calm down, calm down!" I shouted as he got louder and louder with each word.

He was starting to scare me.

Milo took a deep breath, walking over to the sofa and sat down. He closed his eyes and relaxed back against the cushions, resting his head against the back of the couch. "I'm sorry, again." He sighed, looking over into my frightened face. "It's really not that bad; we _aren't_ puppets just waiting for our strings to be pulled. We still have free will and thought; we can do what we like, when we like, how we like. We just also have to do anything they tell us."

"Because their blood is in our body." I said and he nodded. "So I don't have to obey Sulpicia?"

"Not unless you drink her blood." He replied. "They have it all set up, some elaborate plan. Every fledgling Sulpicia kills, or recruits after they really do reject the Change, she makes them drink her blood when they first wake up. She has so many of us under her control, treating us like, like minions. But she's just a minion herself, under the control of Aro. Willingly, though."

My brows furrowed. "Why didn't she make me drink her blood then?"

He sat up straight, frowning. "You're more important than she is. You've got an affinity; any fledgling who has an affinity becomes _Aro's_ personal dog. No offence." I could feel the rumbling in my chest again and took a deep breath to calm myself. I closed my eyes until I was sure I wasn't about to leap over this chair and attack Milo. "It's not so bad, though; he treats you all like you're royalty. The rest of us all have to share the basement of this mansion while you've got rooms."

"How many people are here?" I wondered aloud.

Milo scratched the back of his neck. "I'd say thirty, or so. There's Aro and his brothers who, if you noticed, are Vamps like at the school. Sulpicia too, and a couple other Professors from the House, then there's you, the twins, and Renata, and lastly, there are the rest of us pawn like vampires."

"What are the affinities of the other three vampires?" I asked curiously.

He grinned. "Well, Jane - the little one you saw earlier, she can make you think you're in unbearable pain, like you're on fire or something. Her brother, Alec, can cut you off from your senses; make you blind, deaf, numb, etc. And Renata… well, I've heard Sulpicia calling her a shield of some sorts. She can make you feel distracted and wandering, when you're around her. So you could have intentions of ripping her head off, but when you get close you kind just forget about it and wander off. Turns you into a scatterbrain, you know?" He quirked a brow at me. "Jane used to be Aro's favourite, but now that you actually _can_ light someone on fire just with a thought and are immune; you're like his shiny, new toy."

I slid down the wall until I was sitting on the floor, my head feeling a little dizzy. "I don't understand. Why… _why_? What's the point? Why is Sulpicia killing us, what does Aro want my obedience for, who-" My words finally caught up to me and something clicked.

Something I hadn't realized before.

Didn't completely grasp until now.

A small, but very large detail finally registering.

I looked up at Milo with wide, terrified eyes. "I'm… dead."

I felt so cold and couldn't hear my heart beating, couldn't feel it. I was so pale, there was no blood being pumped through my veins to give me colour. When I breathed in and out… something was missing. When I stopped and held my breath, after minutes and minutes of waiting, there was no burn. No urge to breathe in deep. My lungs didn't feel like they were going to explode. I felt no need for air. I didn't require it.

"I'm dead." I repeated.

When Milo had bitten me, when I felt myself fading into nothing… That was me dying.

Dead.

Gone.

And yet still alive.

Walking.

Talking.

Breathing, unnecessarily so, but still.

"Milo, I'm… I'm dead."

"You mentioned that." He deadpanned.

No pun intended.

I shook my head. "Yeah, but I mean, really dead. I have no heart beat. You… you killed me." My eyes snapped up to him again. "You killed me." I said slowly, feeling the words forming in my mouth, leaving a bitter taste. The rumbling came back again, this time louder, and I slowly got to my feet. "You _stole_ my life from me." I growled.

Milo got to his feet, looking around nervously. "No, I didn't. I mean, I did, but… we-we already discussed this. I didn't have a choice, remember? I couldn't stop myself; I had to obey."

He leaped to the side just in time as I sailed through the air, tackling the sofa over backwards. I snarled, pushing myself to my feet, glaring at the boy now standing on the other side of the coffee table. He raised his hands, shaking his head as he slowly backed up. I couldn't stop myself, feeling my eyes narrow, knowing they looked dark and scary again, my lip curling back over my fangs. Milo stilled completely and we stared at each other, both waiting for the other to make their move. His fingers twitched-

The large oak door to my room exploded and shattered into large pieces, some of the stone wall flying out into the hallway with it and Milo. The boy landed on the floor, sliding a few feet into the wall on the other side. I snarled, blurring after him, only to slam to a stop in the door way. My feet and legs locked up, unwilling to move even a single inch outside the room, leaving me to snarl and glare at Milo as he brushed off the door and wall from himself and got to his feet. He took in my stance and growling, smoothing down his hair. "Right, well, I think we should continue this talk another time. I really am sorry, Bella." He said before taking off down the hall.

I spun around, panting and my chest heaving with my unbridled fury I had, not knowing what to do with it. I paced the room, back and forth, just getting more worked up until I snapped and grabbed one of the old lamps, hurling it at the wall.

The shattered glass and metal fell to the floor, the noise now echoing in the quiet room, as I stared at it.

Well that felt… better.

My eyes wandered to an expensive looking vase on another table, my lips twitching.

**XXxxXXxxXXxxXX**

**Esme**

The High Priestess's office was dark that night; the light switch on the other side of the room gathering dust from the lack of use it had seen in the passed four days. Not even the desk lamp was on; one of the few sources of light in this building that was never off. It let the fledglings and even other Professors know that Esme was up in the office, her door open, free to talk to about anything they needed. However, for the passed four days, the only light to spill into the room had been from the sun or the moon as the hours passed. Esme preferred to be in the dark when she thought, to cancel out the noise and the light and any other distractions that would keep her from concentrating. In the dark, everything was quiet and closed off; there was just her and her breathing, nothing else disturbing her.

Now, the first three days, the darkness was mainly so she could mourn in peace. However, this passed twenty-four hours, she had locked herself up here to think. The only other person she ever let inside was Alice; not other fledglings or Professors, not even Carlisle. The pixie girl always came along with new information, other visions she had managed to force out, with Carlisle's help.

How Esme wished she was in her final year at the school, having learned to have more control over her affinity. She knew that by the time Alice had become a full grown Vampyre, she would be able to have her visions at will, everything from future natural disasters to the mundane little things like what Eve would wear that day. For now, all they could do was wait for a vision to hit, which took hours, if not days. But Carlisle had gotten another Professor to fill in teaching his class for him so that he could help Alice, once Esme had told him what happened.

Now everyone was just waiting on Esme to take action, make a plan, say _something_ about all of this.

She had told them all she would need time, managed to persuade the others to get back to their classes while they waited, and go on with their lives the best they could. It was difficult for her to ask that of them; how was anyone supposed to carry on with life like normal after all that had happened? And how was she to plot a course of action to take?

What _could_ they do, other than try to find Bella?

There was just too much unknown; where was she? Why was she there? Who was she with? Why hadn't she tried to contact them? How was she alive after rejecting the Change?

Of course, Alice flat out told her that she hadn't. That Sulpicia had done something to Bella, and now the pixie was demanding Esme to do something about the Professor. As much as she believed Alice -for the Chemistry Professor always did give Esme a bad vibe, always had this sinister air about her- she needed more concrete proof to take to Shekinah. It wasn't just a matter of Esme kicking Sulpicia out of her House, although Alice had more severe and drastic measures she wanted to take, Esme needed reason and had to go to Shekinah about this. If a Professor was killing fledglings -the thought stabbed at Esme's heart- then something needed to be done; it was a matter for the council.

For now, all she could do was bring in a few more Warriors and have them patrolling and looking for _anything_ suspicious. And she would have to watch Sulpicia closely from now on, while not alerting her to the fact that she _was_ being watched. There was also the little fact that Sulpicia couldn't have done this alone, not without people noticing; she would have needed more hands. Which meant she had accomplices with her; but who? Other Professors? Fledglings?

Esme's House was out of control and she had been oblivious to the dark schemes going on right under her nose.

How could she call herself a High Priestess anymore?

A quiet knock at the door brought Esme out of her thoughts and she quickly wiped her eyes, sitting up straight in her seat. "Come in." She said, already knowing it was Alice.

The little pixie slipped into the room soundlessly, taking in Esme's slightly puffy eyes. "I had another vision," She said quietly, walking into the office to set the canvas on the High Priestess's desk. The room was littered with them; of course, not all of them visions. Some were of the room Bella had been in, in the original vision, trying to place it to a house, or rather mansion would seem more fitting for the size of it. Others were just of Bella; how much she had changed. Her eyes normally, and her eyes when she was mad. This last one was of said girl sitting on a balcony of some sort, hugging her knees and staring out at the hedge maze below. Her eyes looked so sad and so scared there, Alice could barely draw them. "We need to hurry, Esme."

"I know," The older Vampyre murmured, touching the canvas. She sighed, rubbing her tired eyes and looked up at Alice desperately. "I don't know what to do, though."

Alice clenched her fists. "Well for one, you can kick Sulpicia's ass and demand to know what she did with my Bella." The girl seethed.

"I can't, Alice." Esme said, running her hands through her hair. "I would love nothing more than to do that," The truth in her words scared Esme, but she continued on. "But as a High Priestess, I cannot." Alice began pacing in front of the desk, trying to calm herself down before she snapped at Esme. She knew that the older Vampyre was trying to do what she could, or at least, trying to figure out what she _could_ do, but that wasn't a lot. She was bound by code and responsibilities, her title and position as High Priestess chained her, giving her very little space and leeway to do what she wanted. Esme groaned, resting her forehead against her cool desk. "It doesn't make sense; _why_ would she do this?"

Alice sighed, her shoulders sagging as she looked at her High Priestess who was nearly in tears again. "You should rest, Esme. Things will seem more clear when you wake up." She hoped, at least. Alice made her way back across the room and to the door, taking one last look at Esme before slipping out.

Esme just stared down at her desk, not having heard a word of what the pixie just said. The same thing kept replaying in her mind, over and over again. _Why would she do this?_ And why Bella, of all people? She had an affinity, her Mark filled in already; she was special. Why risk suspicion, because it certainly made no sense to _anyone_ that Bella had rejected the Change.

She had seen the confusion at the service.

Had Bella become a threat to her? How? Why? Had she figured out what Sulpicia was up to?

No; Bella would have come to Esme once she found out. Wouldn't she?

What else had she been doing lately?

Esme remembered her conversation with Professor Lexi during lunch, just before Bella had… had… Well, apparently Bella had gotten into a discussion about Werewolves with her, and had seemed pretty worked up about it. Esme got to her feet, turning to scan her book case behind her desk. She pulled out a few different books of mythology and legends, sat back down, and turned on her desk lamp.

If she could retrace Bella's steps and thoughts, maybe she would find something.

**XXxxXXxxXXxxXX**

**Alice**

Lunch was over and class was starting again as Alice left Esme's office and quickened her step. She was headed back to Eve's dorm room, where she knew the others would be, regretting that she didn't have better news for them this time. Everyone was getting anxious; no one liked just sitting around, waiting for Esme, but what could they do?

No one really questioned her as she entered the girls' dorm while everyone else was heading out to class; the pixie hadn't attended one class since Bella's "death". No one wanted to know why, or push her for reasons; everyone knew that her and Bella, while fighting often, were close friends. Alice raced up the stairs and to Eve's door, knocking once before entering. She looked around the crowded room at everyone, glad that they were still here waiting for her. She had been scared that once classes started up again; they would actually take Esme's advice and go back to their lives normally. But they were all still here, looking up at her eagerly.

Edward sat on Eve's bed against the headboard, with Jasper sitting between his legs, laying back on his chest. The two had been even more openly affectionate after all that had happened; taking comfort in each other. Eve sat next to them, her legs crossed while she fiddled anxiously with her hair. Emmett sat on the floor, his back against Bella's bed with his legs stretched out, his feet tucked underneath Eve's bed. Rosalie sat on Bella's bed, her position similar to Eve's, while she played with Emmett's hair. Cole was closer to the headboard, hugging one knee and resting his chin on it, Raven sitting in the window, making sure the curtain was closed all the time so no one could look in and see what they were doing.

"What's the news?" Raven asked, tilting her head to the side. Perched like she was, her dark hair hanging down over her shoulders and in her face, she was the epitome of her name. Quite raven like. It was kind of odd to see, and distracted Alice for a minute, making her forget what she was going to say.

She shook her head, sliding down the door to sit on the floor, and sighed. "She still hasn't figured out what she's going to do."

"What?" Eve said, her voice and face distraught. "It's been a whole day, though, and she doesn't even have a clue yet? We can't just sit here all day, every day, waiting. Bella's out there."

Raven nodded. "Yeah! Why isn't she interrogating Sulpicia? Or, at least, locking her in some basement so she can't do this to anyone else while Esme figures out what to do."

Rosalie rolled her eyes, much to everyone's annoyance. "She _can't_ do that; she's a High Priestess, not some Godfather in the mafia."

"I suspect Esme is trying to figure out who else is in the picture." Edward said, clearing his throat. He received a couple of questioning looks and a few eyebrow raises. "Well, she couldn't have done this alone. How would she have snuck bodies off of the House grounds without Esme noticing? And Bella is in some fancy building somewhere, expensive looking, not chained up or locked in, while Sulpicia is here teaching class. How would she keep them where they are? There has to be more people in on this."

Cole scratched his chin. "How is Esme going to do that? She's been talking and living here at the House with these people for at least a century now, all the while never noticing anything off or wrong. They've obviously got excellent poker faces and know how to hide their tracks."

"She'll need our help, then." Jasper said, sitting up. He nodded, a light bulb going off in his head and soon Edward's, looking around at everyone. "Yeah, Ed can read minds and can get an inside scoop on what they're really thinking, I can push emotions onto them; make em' feel like talking and bein' honest, and Raven with her Spirit affinity; we'll all be more susceptible to picking up on suspicious and dark vibes."

Eve pouted a little. "What does that leave the rest of us? Just sitting here, waiting again."

Alice shook her head. "No, there's still things we can do." She looked up at Cole who sat up, waiting for her orders. "Esme won't like what we're doing; she just wants us to go back to normal and let her and the adult Vamps handle things. So you just make sure she's distracted with whatever she decides to do, keep her off our trails, and fill us in on whatever she does and finds out." As an older fledgling, he had less classes, and it wouldn't be odd for him to hang around Esme with, seemingly, nothing to do. Plus, he just didn't have that look that said 'I've got ulterior motives'. Alice looked over to Rosalie. "You said you knew where a bunch of people have hedge mazes?"

The blonde nodded, making a face. "The High Class end of town; people up there seem to think it makes you important if you have a hedge maze. Bunch of snobs."

Emmett furrowed his brows. "Don't your parents live up there with a maze?"

She sighed, ignoring the snickers. "Yes,"

Alice nodded, looking around the room. "Alright, well Rosalie, Emmett, Eve, and I will go up there during the days and try to find this maze."

Everyone seemed eager and excited at the prospect of having something to do finally; it was only Edward who appeared to have a problem. "Excuse me, but I have a question." He met Alice's eyes. "What happens if you find the maze and mansion, or if we find someone working with Sulpicia? What do we do?"

No one seemed to have thought of that or knew the answer to his question as they all looked at each other. If they told Esme; she would make them stop and probably keep tabs on them afterwards. Alice bit her lip, looking at them all. "We can't tell her, or anyone, until we have all of what we need. We've got to figure out _everyone_ that's involved with Sulpicia here at the house, find out where Bella is, and what's going on, before we tell Esme. Then she will actually be able to do something."

Conversation after that flowed, everyone opting to stay rather than go to class and try to pretend everything was normal and fine.

**XXxxXXxxXXxxXX**

**Seems like these chapters are getting shorter and shorter. I'll try harder on the next one to make it longer, but this just seemed like the place to end this one. If I kept going, I would have had to continue on, and on, and on until I found another good place to stop, and then the chapter would have been freaking long. Which is fine and dandy, but that would have taken a while to write, and I didn't want to make you guys wait forever again. **

**Review, though. Tell me what you think, how you feel, your favourite jolly rancher, etc, etc.**

**-Paige. **


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I also don't own the House of Night series or anything of theirs. Those belong to Stephanie Meyer, and P.C and Kirsten Cast.**

**Rated: T.**

**Author: Paige Turner.**

**Summary: AU. 'I didn't know how or why; but this pixie looking girl was different than everyone else. Even the people at **_**this**_** school, and that was saying something.' A/B R&R!**

**BELLA**

Footsteps echoed down the hallways, each one crystal clear in my head, heel to toe, heel to toe, getting closer and closer. There was more than just one person; three pairs of feet, one heavier than the other two. Not heavy enough to be anyone big, like Milo, however, and my eyes narrowed. Only one of them had a heart beat, the other two obviously vampires like me, which led me to believe this was probably Aro again with his little entourage - Jane and her brother.

My suspicions were confirmed when the three appeared in the hole that was once a door, and my lips pulled back in a snarl. My eyes tingled and I knew they darkened again, a sudden thought coming to mind, quick as lightning before it faded back to the far reaches of my mind. Why did Milo's eyes look different when he got, well, like this? As far as I knew, the only thing that happened to his eyes were the shadows that appeared from seemingly nowhere to frame them, and the red rings around his pupils. Were reactions to anger, or rage as Milo said, different for each vampire? I had studied my reflection and knew that mine was different from Milo's; the whites in mine just darkened to a black.

"If your room didn't satisfy you, all you had to do was say something, dear Isabella." Aro smiled kindly, stepping into the room and looking around. "My, what destruction you've caused."

That was true. A few little vases weren't enough to quell the urge of ripping Aro apart with my bare hands. Now, it looked like a tornado had blown through here: the enormous bed and tall posts were smashed and thrown around the room, the mattress ripped apart, stuffing covering everything like a thin layer of snow. Tables had been flipped and thrown at walls, lamps crushed and smashed. There were books, literally, everywhere, ripped and torn, one still crunched in my fist. The shelves and dressers were in the same condition as the bed, drawers and clothing tossed and flung around.

There was not a single thing in this room I hadn't destroyed.

Except for Aro, who had made a _bad_ choice in stepping into the room without the twins.

Everything that happened next took mere seconds. My feet launched me forwards with a growl, my hands reaching out for his neck, but Alec was there in front of him in a blur, gently pushing the older vamp behind him protectively, while Jane stood in front of me with a glare. Aro's voice rang out before anyone could make another move, "Stop!"

Once more, my body obeyed him instead of me, and I slammed to a stop, as if running into an invisible wall. Jane smirked up at me, unfazed by the snarl that ripped from my chest, echoing loudly in the room. I snapped my jaws at her, watching her step back towards Aro again, something inside me swelling at the flicker of caution entering her eyes.

Good. She _should_ be afraid. I'll tear her apart too! I'll rip apart this entire mansion until there's nothing left! I'll hunt down their families, their friends, anyone they ever so much as _looked_ at, and I'll-

"-ook at her, master. She's an animal; growling and panting, look at her eyes! She's wild."

Aro's own eyes sparkled with excitement and he clapped his hands together, nodding. "I know; she's marvellous!"

With a sigh, Jane crossed her arms over her chest and glared at me. "You can't tame every beast you create, master. Put her down." I seriously expected a pout to accompany the whine in her voice.

"As long as I can collar her, it will be fine, dear." He grinned.

"Shut_ up_," I snarled at them all. "That's so stupid and lame! 'Collar' me? A 'beast'? Really? You're a cheesy bad guy from a lame B rated movie." The book in my hand ripped more.

Jane hissed, stepping up into my face, smirking when I couldn't reach out and strangle the crap out of her. "Look around, beast, because there's nothing else we _can_ call you. You're covered in blood. So _pipe down_, dog."

With a snarl, I whipped the book across the rom, lodging it into the wall.

Aro looked down at the other twin, Alec, and smiled. "Go round up one of the others. The fellow Tyler, who almost got caught the other night by human police." He said gently, with a malicious glint in his eye. He looked back up at me, beaming and rested a hand on Jane's shoulder, pulling her closer to him and farther from me. "My dear, dear Isabella," He cooed and my chest rumbled with a growl. "I have been impatiently waiting for a display of your lovely talents."

"Go to hell." I muttered darkly, glaring fiercely.

Jane hissed again.

With another sickening sweet smile, Aro stepped around me, placing a weak, chalky hand on my arm. I fought, trying to shake it off, but couldn't move still. "You _will_ show me what you can do with that magnificent affinity of yours." He chirped.

Another growl rumbled from my lips.

His voice darkened and a smirk pulled at his lips. "Answer me."

My jaw clenched and I grunted, feeling my lips already forming the word without permission. "Yes,"

"Yes, _master_." He pressed, pausing at my side and squeezing my arm. I wonder if he thought that hurt, or was supposed to intimidate me? "Say it," He demanded, almost childishly when I just glared at him.

My fists were shaking from clenching them so tightly. "…Yes…master," I uttered, snarling once the words left my lips.

Jane giggled and I seethed. I could feel, actually _feel_, myself throwing her around the room, ripping her apart, crushing her, and yet she just continued to stand there in front of me, grinning. My chest heaved with the blinding rage swelling up in me. "What's the matter, pup, you don't like your _collar_ or something?" She asked, tilting her head to the side.

"I _will_ kill you," I growled, glaring at them both. "All of you."

Alec returned into the room with another large form blurring in behind him. "Master," The twin bowed his head.

The other vampire's brown eyes widened upon seeing seeing Aro, and he quickly bowed at the waist. Aro smiled, stepping up to the vampire, paste-y white fingers touching his hair for a moment. Seriously, this dude was _creepy_. The vampire straightened back up, running his own hand through his dark brown hair, an uneasy look in his eyes. I wasn't the only one who thought so. "Master Aro," He said quietly. "I never got the chance to apologize personally to you. I… you probably heard about the other night. I just… I'm so sorry."

"Maybe next time you should _silence_ your supper before it screams," Jane hissed, eyes narrowing dangerously.

He flinched at her tone and look, stepping back. "I'm sorry-"

She rolled her eyes. "Grow a backbone; you're a _vampire_."

"Now, now," Aro cooed, reaching out to touch the taller vampire's shoulder. His smile was twisted and the vampire shifted uneasily, following the older man around with his questioning eyes. "What's done is done, and my Isabella here will take good care of you, Tyler."

There was no time to react to the fact that he called me his, something that made my insides sting, because Tyler's brown eyes flickered up to mine. I tensed, as did he, and we both stared at each other waiting for the other to make a move. I was uncertain what he'd do; if he'd run, or attack out of fright, or something, but I wouldn't let him get the drop on me, because, well, being prepared seemed to be the only thing I had on this guy.

He wasn't large in the sense of muscles, not like Milo and Emmett, but he was tall, and definitely not scrawny. He was bigger and taller than Edward, but not quite as much as Jasper, and he had been a vampire much longer than I had. As far as I could tell, at least. I was still trying to figure everything out; this speed and strength and things mostly just _happened_ or didn't. I had no control over it, yet, my body… it was different now. Foreign. Like if someone souped up your car with all these new engines and tires and gadgets - you still know how to use it, the basics, but all the little things were too new for a smooth ride.

Minutes passed and when finally still no one moved, Aro huffed to himself, making everyone look over to him. He was glaring at me. "Well? Go on," He said, gesturing to Tyler.

"What?" I snapped.

"Show me your affinity." He demanded, his voice turning into a growl at the end. My eyebrows rose in slight surprise.

Well, well, well, Mr. Creepy Face has a temper after all.

My chin raised and I glanced at Tyler before sneering back at Aro. "I can't," I replied.

"You - what?" Aro hissed. "You…Sulpicia has _seen_ your affinity, and I have seen it through her. Do not lie to me and tell me you cannot, because I _know_ you can. Set him on fire!" He seethed.

Feeling like a puppet yet _again_, I watched as my hand rose up, palm facing Tyler. He yelped, flinching and covering his face with his arms, peeking through after a few seconds of nothing. I continued to stare at my hand, feeling the absence of that warm energy, that flaming power in me that I usually called up and brought forth to my hands. But it wasn't there, or it was, but I just couldn't find it.

"Everything is different," I snarled, clenching my hand and lowered it to my side. "I _can't_ do it."

My body was rewired now and I couldn't consciously do much of anything until I figured it all out again.

Aro stared at me for what felt like years, and I felt my skin crawl. Finally he sighed, shaking his head. "Jane, find me Sulpicia _now_. Alec," His eyes flickered over to Tyler and me. "Burn the pieces of whoever is left."

My jaw dropped. "What?" I gasped.

His twisted smile returned. "You'll soon learn that you have to fight for what you want in life, Isabella, and that _includes_ your life." He chuckled. "Don't worry, child, I have the utmost faith in you." He pointedly looked around the trashed room.

Jane snickered, following Aro to the hole where the door was. "Give in to your instincts, pup." She winked.

My jaw snapped shut with a growl. I looked over to Tyler and his ill looking face, his eyes hallow. "I won't hurt you, I promise. We don't _have_ to listen to him, we can fight this."

Alec finally spoke once the other two left, a grin playing at his blank face. "Kill or be killed, pup."

Great, twins share nicknames, too?

Tyler shifted, crouching down low even as I shook my head, my eyes pleading with him. His shoulders drooped, and I recognized the look on his face as he readied himself. It was the same look Milo had before he bit me, and the same words were whispered to me yet _again_. "I'm sorry."

Would I be reduced to this? A savage animal unleashed to kill for Aro? No will of my own, following him around like a hallow, empty, apologetic dog like the others. Or would I turn into Jane? A sadistic…_thing _that enjoyed jumping through hoops and inflicting pain to please her master.

No, I wouldn't. I wouldn't become that. I was Bella Swan; I felt bad squishing mosquitos. I wasn't a killer.

One thing was becoming abundantly clear, all of these vampires had given up hope. Hell, they just _told_ me he was out hunting for his 'supper', supper that had screamed. They were drinking from other _humans_, no longer bound by Aro or Sulpicia's blood, and yet they still danced for their masters without a second thoughts. They had given up, long ago, and the others didn't even need that blood insurance to control them.

I would _not_ let that happen to me. Aro may control my body, but he does _not_ control _me._

The air rushed from my lungs as Tyler's shoulder crushed my gut, and I flew back into the wall, feeling it crumble around me. "No," I gasped. My eyes stung and grew heavy, darkening, and I felt myself slipping again, screaming at myself to stop, watching as I pulled myself from the wall and let debris fall to the ground.

My lip curled back in a snarl, my fists clenching, and I lunged at Tyler.

**xxxxxxxx**

**-Cole-**

He watched as the High Priestess turned down another long aisle of books, headed to the farthest corner of the library, and sighed with a smile on his face.

In the beginning, he thought that keeping an eye on Esme would be rather difficult, _some might say the most difficult task of the group_, since this was her House and there wasn't much she didn't know going on around here. _Other than evil Professors killing kids,_ but still, she was never really focused on the Professors. There was never a reason to, he figured, since they were teachers, friends, people she had known for years. Why would she keep her eyes on them? There was only ever need for her focus to be on the fledglings, to look after and protect them, which meant knowing…well, everything it often seemed.

So how she wouldn't figure out he was following her, he didn't know, but for the last two hours, things had been going pretty smoothly. _I could totally be a spy_, he thought to himself, looking at his reflection in the glass case over some of the older, expensive books. His dark hair was combed and styled to hang in his eyes, but not terribly so that he couldn't see, covering his filled in Mark and tattoos on his face. He had fished around in his wardrobe until finding an old, black, school blazer, a great contrast to his crisp white button up, and black slacks, and put on a pair of shiny black shoes.

With a grin, he brushed off his sleeves and nodded at his reflection. _Double oh sexy,_ he thought to himself.

"Hello, Cole." Esme said with a bright smile, coming to stand behind the fledgling who was getting a little _too_ familiar with his own reflection.

"Agh!" Said fledgling jumped nearly a foot in the air and spun around, his eyes widening comically. He gaped up at the taller woman who was smiling kindly down at him, his head whipping back and forth from the far corner of the room, back to Esme. "But you were just - I mean - um - H-high Priestess," He slammed his right fist to his heart and bowed lowly, trying to calm his racing thoughts and collect his cool again. _What would James Bond do_, he chanted over and over in his head. Plastering a smile to his face, he straightened out, feeling his lips twitch under the High Priestess' curious gaze. "What brings you down to the library at such a late hour?"

Raising a slightly amused eyebrow, Esme glanced at the clock up on the wall. She watched as the younger boy's grey eyes followed her line of sight and then return back sheepishly. It was only eleven o'clock pm. "I was picking up a few books." She replied lightly. The boy was acting very strange, but she didn't want to make him uncomfortable. Not after everything that had happened, and besides, as far as she could recall, Cole only had two classes at the end of the school day.

He nodded furiously, swallowing to try and wet his dry throat. "Right. What, uh, what kind of books? I would have thought you'd read everything in here already; I mean, you've been the High Priestess here for a _long_ time." He paused, his eyes widening. "That-that's not to say you're _old_ or anything. I just assumed since you've had these books in your House for a while and you enjoy reading, that you'd have read them all."

"Are you feeling alright, Cole?" Esme asked, concern colouring her tone and face. She reached out, placing her hand on his shoulder and tilted her head to the side. "You're getting flustered and sweaty; are you feeling warm? Perhaps you should step outside into the cool air?" She asked, looking to the door.

Wiping his forehead and grimacing at the moisture, _ew_, he nodded and smiled nervously. "Oh, no, I'm fine. I'm just…not used to wearing a blazer." He said, jerkily taking the coat off. "Much better. So, what are you reading?" He looked at the books in the High Priestess' arm. "Werewolves?" He asked, confused.

Bringing the books closer to her chest, Esme hugged them closely, as if they were Bella herself, the Vampyre's eyes saddening greatly. "Yes…I've been approached by a few Vampyres off campus who were looking to start a Legends and Myths class." She lied easily, pushing away the guilt. "A class that Final Year fledglings such as yourself may take to fill up space in your day. I imagine it must get boring meandering around all day with just two classes."

_Relatively handy, if you ask me,_ Cole nodded. "You know what else you should look into; Shape Shifters." He said, his eyes lighting up. "My dad was a big Folk Lore buff and passed it onto me and my brothers, and he used to tell us all these cool Folk Legends. Shape Shifters were my favourite - people able to turn into giant animals."

"Oh?" Esme asked, her own curiosity peaked.

Cole nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, there were tribes who had a Spirit Animal that would guide them, and the Shamans could actually Shift _into_ that animal. Over the years, the magic was passed onto the rest of the tribe, so that they all could turn into their Spirit Animals, and be one with the Earth and Nature, or something." He chuckled. "I'm sure there's more to it, but me and my brothers were only little kids, and my dad liked to turn the legends into tales to tell us before bed. I could call him and get actual information for you, if you want."

Esme nodded with a bright smile. This was fascinating! And surely if Bella was gathering information on Werewolves, Cole would have noticed and told her this story as well, right? Esme needed everything Bella had learnt; had to follow _all_ of her footsteps. "I would greatly appreciate that, Cole." She said, smiling a final time and walking to the library doors. She paused, looking back at the boy who had started to relax but froze when she glanced at him. "Do you happen to know if any of those tribes are still around today?"

Cole shrugged and nodded. "Yeah, my dad says there's a few. Most of them are in Asia, a couple in Russia, and even a few in a couple states here in America."

"Thank you," She smiled again and stepped out into the chilly night air. Her mind whirled back to the impromptu trip she and Alice made to Forks, Washington a few weeks ago. Esme had asked Charlie and Renee about Sam before they left, curious as to why Bella was so worked up, and found out that Sam was the first missing boy in a chain of them, one of the boys being her best friend. She also remembered Charlie saying something about Sam's father being the head of the Council for the tribe.

Cole's shoulders sagged and he sighed in relief, collapsing into a chair at one of the many tables. "Close call," He murmured to himself, laying his cheek against the cool wood of the table. A smile pulled at his lips and he chuckled quietly. _I could totally be a spy._

**xxxxxxxx**

**-Jasper-**

"Really?" Raven scoffed, her hands on her hips as she raised an eyebrow at the two boys sitting before her.

They were out in the courtyard, crossing off names on the list of Professors they had created that morning while simultaneously eating their lunch. Yes, it was much warmer in the Dinning Hall, and yes, they would have liked to have sat with the others, but instead everyone was separated from each other into their groups. Or alone, in the case of Cole, who managed to convince Esme to let him have lunch with her up in her office to talk more about lore or something - Raven hadn't really been paying attention when he called her.

They couldn't risk sitting with one another, especially in the Dinning Hall with everyone else where they could be heard and seen. It would look suspicious and someone would mention something, and then before they knew it, Esme would have known. The only time, they all agreed, that they could return to each other and discuss things, was in the wee hours of the morning when everyone else but the Warriors -who had tripled in numbers- were asleep.

Jasper sipped his juice and set it down on the bench next to him and Edward, looking back over the list in his hands. "We have to check _everyone_, Raven. That was the plan. We can't just give anyone the benefit of the doubt because we like them. These people could hide from _Esme_; they're not going to be obvious. They probably _are_ the ones we least expect," He explained, looking over to Edward who nodded, biting his sandwich. "Even Carlisle."

With a roll of her eyes, Raven polished off her apple on her shirt until she could clearly see her reflection in it. "I'm telling you right now, Carlisle wouldn't do that. For one, he's the High Priestess' Consort, and…well, it's _Carlisle_ for crying out loud. The man doesn't have a dark bone in his body. Besides, he really liked Bella; he wouldn't have killed her."

"She's not dead." Jasper hissed, clenching his fists.

Edward laid his hand on Jasper's thigh, giving a comforting squeeze and looked up to the girl sitting on the bench across from them. "Look, Raven, I believe you. Carlisle is an excellent Professor and a nice man, I don't think he could do this either." Jasper huffed at Edward's words. "_But_ we're checking everyone just to be _absolutely_ sure, just to be safe, and we have to do this, if only, to cross him off the list."

Groaning, Raven finally nodded. "Fine, but I hope you both feel _very_ bad afterwards when we prove he's innocent, because suspecting _that_ man is a crime."

"Sounds like you've got a crush on him." Jasper grunted. A wave of embarrassment hit him hard and he looked up in surprise. He had just been kidding, but… "You _do_ have a crush on him!"

Feeling her cheeks heating up, Raven guffawed and spluttered about. "I - what? No, I'm just… he's old and… you don't know…there's nothing…I mean, he's just _nice_, is all…"

Giggling much too femininely, Edward grinned. "Wow, be glad Esme isn't the mind reader, she'd rip your eyes out for those thoughts."

"Oh god; get out of my head!" She squealed, covering her eyes with her hands, as if that would block him out. "Chairs, pencils, shoes, paint," She muttered over and over, rocking back and forth.

Footsteps could be heard approaching and the three froze, glancing up and down the sidewalk to see a flash of blonde underneath one of the sidewalk lanterns. Carlisle was coming, as they planned, knowing he walked down through this path every lunch hour, on his way to the Professors Lounge on the other side of the House grounds. This was another reason why they weren't eating with the others, figuring they could corner the Professor in a non-suspicious way.

They ate silently, exchanging looks -some of amusement at the still blushing Raven- while they waited until Carlisle stepped into the courtyard. It was lit up better than any other outdoor area of the Grounds, except maybe the Equestrians stables, and Carlisle could see them clearly on the stone benches. He smiled brightly and walked over, looking at each of them. "Seems a little chilly out for you to be having lunch here instead of the Hall, no?" He asked politely.

Raven stared hard at her feet, knowing that if she looked up, Edward and Jasper would embarrass her. Jasper, on the other hand, looked up and smiled, though the action didn't quite reach his dark eyes. "Not too chilly, Professor." He said in his southern drawl. He focused, sending out small waves of relaxation and trust, watching as Carlisle's shoulders drooped slightly and his smile warmed just a bit more. He continued sending out the waves, subtly so the Professor wouldn't catch on. "We also… we don't like eating in the Dinning Hall anymore." He said.

Running a hand through his blonde hair, Carlisle tilted his head. "Why not?" He asked. Were kids giving them trouble? He knew that Rosalie didn't exactly make life easy on the two, mostly to spite Alice, but Raven was eating with them and Raven was Rosalie's friend. And that small group _did_ seem to be bonding, somewhat, nowadays.

Edward cleared his throat. "After what…happened to Bella, it's hard to even look at the building. Every time… I don't know about the others, but I… I see…" Edward wasn't surprised at the honest emotions welling up in him, the lump forming in his throat. It was one of the main reasons he knew Alice and Jasper wouldn't ever set foot in the building, and he knew that Eve couldn't actually look at it, and so he had been using that to form his lie. However, he _was_ startled to realize that those were his own reasons, now, too.

"I'm so sorry, I should have known." Carlisle felt like kicking himself, watching as the two boys' eyes got glassy. He looked over to Raven who was still staring at her shoes, the knuckles of her hands gripping the bench turning white. "How… how are you three holding up?" He asked hesitantly. "I know you must be sick of hearing that question, but I want you to know that you can talk to me. You can trust me. I will do everything in my power to help all of you." He said sincerely.

Clearing his throat again, Edward offered a small smile. "Thank you, Professor, but we're fine. We just need some time, that's all." He said.

Carlisle nodded, hesitating, not wanting to leave the sad children. He also knew, though, that most people liked to be alone when they grieved, and that a teacher was the last person they probably wanted comfort from. He sighed quietly, hoping they'd listen to his words, and slowly continued his way to the Lounge.

Once he was gone and out of ear shot, Raven snapped her head up and grinned. "Told you we could trust him." She said. "Both he and Esme are pure, guys."

"We had to double check with our affinities to make sure." Jasper replied, clearing his sore throat and blinking a few times.

Raven rolled her eyes again. "And you think I was just guessing, or something? I knew that from _my_ affinity." The two looked at her with curious eyes, and she pointed to herself. "Spirit Element, helloooo. You hear thoughts and you feel emotions, while I see passed all that. _I_ can see and feel and know someone's essence, what they are at their core."

The two turned and looked at each other, both a little blown away and suddenly feeling very naked sitting in front of the girl who could see their essence. Edward shifted uncomfortably, grabbing his notebook and took out a pen. "Right, okay, so… is there anyone else you think we should cross off the list already?"

Giggling, Raven danced over to their bench, sitting on the edge and looked down at the notebook in the bronze haired boy's hands. "Hm, not really…oh; Professor Victoria and Professor Lexi."

Jasper looked up. "You're sure?"

He could feel her certainty and smiled. "Positive."

Edward sighed. "Alright, so that's…five down and a billion more to go." He groaned. "Why are there so many Professors here?"

**xxxxxxxx**

**-Alice-**

The filled in Mark and tattoos were cool, incredibly so, and when she looked past the fact that it was Rosalie and Eve, as well as the others, Alice felt the tattoos were even exotic. They were like beautiful tribal markings of a warrior or goddess, painted on such smooth, pale skin, and she found that, perhaps, she was envious. A little bit.

However, they just took _so long_ to cover up. For her and Emmett, the two threw on some casual clothes; jeans, sweaters, coats, and slapped concealer on to cover up the sapphire outline of the crescent moon present on their foreheads. When they were finished, they sent out to find the other two, creeping around the dorm quietly as to not wake anyone else up. Rosalie said that they'd need just a few more minutes to cover up _their_ Mark and tattoos, and sent them to wait down by the front gate.

Twenty seven minutes ago.

It had taken _twenty seven_ minutes until the other two finally, _finally_, tip toed and snuck around the Warriors to the front gate where Emmett and Alice were sat, waiting. Alice snapped her head up, glaring at the girls, and roughly got to her feet. "A few more minutes my ass." She hissed quietly, knowing that any louder and the Warriors patrolling the grounds might hear.

Rosalie held her hand up in front of her face, shading her sensitive eyes from the light, and pulled out a pair of shades. True, Vampyres didn't burn in the sun, but there _was_ a reaction. Like sending a human with a migraine out into the sun without shade, and if that human had an uncomfortable sunburn. So while the sun didn't really cause any _harm_ to Vampyres, per say, they certainly preferred to stay indoors during day time hours.

"We're sorry, Alice," Eve murmured, ducking her head sheepishly. "It took me a little longer to cover up all the tattoos, and then there were two warriors _right_ outside the dorm doors. We had to scale down the back and go around the long way."

Shrugging his massive shoulders, Emmett started down the sidewalk. They couldn't take anyone's car because someone would _definitely_ notice the roar of engines, and they all settled for taking a bus up to the High end of town. "No harm done; it's a nice day anyways." He mumbled quietly. They all stuck close to the House's stone wall surrounding the grounds, keeping silent as they made their way down the sidewalk.

No one else said anything, never making a sound, until they got to the bus stop a few blocks away. Humans would turn and look at the group curiously, whether it was because there was a giant with them, or because deep down an instinct sensed something in them.

Finally a bus arrived and the four boarded, ignoring the stares and murmurs amongst the few humans seated already, and made their way to the back. Anyone else who came on tended to seat themselves closer to the front, which was fine with the others because it gave them a chance to talk without prying eyes and ears.

Emmett cleared his throat, looking around at the three girls as he pulled his hood back down. "So, how're we gonna do this?" He asked, pulling out his phone and hitting a few keys.

Before they left, Alice had taken a few pictures of the sketches and images she had painted of the mansion and maze, sending them to everyone's phone. She fiddled with her own phone in her pocket, knowing she didn't really need to look at the picture. The image was burned into her mind; every detail, every inch of it; the only clue as to where her Bella was being held. It wasn't something she was ever going to forget. "Well, we could all split up, cut down the time, and call each other if we think we find it. Or, we could go in twos."

Rosalie seemed to agree, nodding with a thoughtful look, but Eve bit her lip and looked over to Emmett who was frowning. She cleared her throat, shifting closer to Alice nervously. "Well, I don't know, I mean… shouldn't we stay together? It might be dangerous. People… people don't really like us, you know?" Rosalie snorted.

"I agree," Emmett said, nodding his head. "Not about the humans, because, well, your _affinities_ are freaking cool, but the people holding Bella. They might be out and around the mansion, guarding it or something, and if they see us, recognize us, it could mean trouble. Two isn't enough, even with affinities, to be safe. I don't want any of you out of my sight."

Huffing, Alice shook her head. "No, if we separate, we'll find it faster. She's been gone so long already!"

"It won't much matter if you're dead, will it?" Rosalie snapped. "I don't like it, either, but Emmett's right. No one's pointlessly risking their lives or blowing up this plan until we're sure Bella is safe."

Outnumbered, Alice crossed her arms over her chest and reluctantly nodded, settling further back into her seat. She sighed, angling her body away from the others, and rested her head against the window, watching the buildings, trees, and people pass by on the sidewalk. Eve looked away from Emmett and Rosalie who also settled back, holding hands and resting their heads on the backs of their seats, looking to Alice. She hadn't ever seen the tiny pixie look and sound so lost before.

Sure, Alice was determined and had a plan, had her focus. She was confident, giving out orders and setting this rescue mission up, but Eve could see passed that.

She could see that the pixie was struggling, fighting, trying to stay in control. Trying not to succumb to the pain and sadness that Eve could see hidden behind those golden eyes, like a drowning man trying to fight and stay above the water.

Eve thought, just before the funeral, before Bella had… had been taken, well, that Alice had played with Bella's feelings. After all, if Alice had cared for Bella, had reciprocated those feelings, surely they wouldn't be in this mess. She wouldn't have rejected Bella, wouldn't have broken her best friend's heart. Bella wouldn't have gone cold, wouldn't have pushed _everyone_ away. They could have saved her. Could have prevented this. And so Eve had hated Alice afterwards, toying with emotions and starting a chain of evens that led to Bella's death, in at least one sense of the word.

Seeing Alice these passed couple of days, Eve took it back. How could she _not_ love Bella, with the effect that the absence of the girl had on the pixie? The utter devastation she could see in Alice, the longing, searching she could see in those golden eyes, like someone had stolen her actual, physical heart, and she was walking around empty, was all the proof anyone needed, to know that Alice had been, and still was, completely and irrevocably in love with Bella Swan.

She reached over, laying her unnaturally cold hand on Alice's shoulder, leaning in and lowering her voice. "We'll find her, Alice," She whispered. Said girl stiffened slightly, staring out the window. "Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow; but I promise we'll find her."

Alice let the younger girl's words soak in, storing them away deep inside her, a beacon of light and hope to fight off the darkness creeping in her chest. They would find Bella, and things would be okay again. She would be able to close her eyes, hold onto the blundering, charming girl, and no that no matter what happened, they'd have each other.

_Hang in there, Bella, just a little longer,_ she thought to herself, looking over her shoulder at the hesitant smile on Eve's face, and the encouraging looks from Emmett and Rosalie.

_Just a little longer._

**xxxxxxxx**

**SHAZAM-UPDATE!**

**Been a while, eh guys? Apologies for that, but I had some thinking to do for this next arc coming up. I need opinions, though, because I honestly cannot decide. I've been playing with each idea for a week now, and I just… I really can't choose.**

**Do y'all want Bella to stay with Aro and the others until the big grand finale, getting darker and darker, losing herself more and more?**

**Or, do y'all want Bella to make an escape, the others find her, bring her back to the House, and they've all gotta figure things out from there, with Aro still looming over them, wanting his new toy back?**

**Or, do y'all want Bella to make an escape, the others find her, bring her back to the House, and they've gotta figure things out from there, BUT she becomes -In B. Silverbow's words- a double agent (Seriously, you gotta gut outta my head, bro, because it's like you've read this entire fic before I've even written it, hehehe)?**

**So y'all gotta decide because I've been down all three paths, basically planned each of them out, liked them all, and can't choose. **

**Lemme know in a review, and tell me what you think about THIS chapter, too! **

**-Paige**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I also don't own the House of Night series or anything of theirs. Those belong to Stephanie Meyer, and P.C and Kirsten Cast.**

**Rated: T.**

**Author: Paige Turner.**

**Summary: AU. 'I didn't know how or why; but this pixie looking girl was different than everyone else. Even the people at **_**this**_** school, and that was saying something.' A/B R&R!**

**BELLA**

There was a knock on the wall that I was more than willing to ignore, hoping whoever was on the other side would take the hint and just leave me alone. Though, if it were Aro, he wouldn't care about the hint and do whatever the hell he felt like, and if it were one of the twins, they'd ignore the hint purposely just to get to me in one more way. It was as if their life mission was making mine hell. The fact that whoever it was hadn't barged in already, however, left me to believe that this was probably Milo.

I didn't much feel like talking to him right then.

"Bella." His voice was hesitant and quiet as he peeked into my room from the enormous hole in the wall through which I'd tossed him just a few days ago. His light eyes took in the utter destruction of the room as he slowly stepped inside. "Bella, what happened?"

My eyes flickered up to his face, around the room, and then back to the ash on the ground I had been staring at for the better part of seven hours. "I…I did."

Milo quickly made his way over, crouching down next to me against the back wall. He followed my line of sight, his eyes widening, and his nostrils flared. "Tyler," he murmured, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "The poor boy wasn't very good at being a vampire."

The air in my lungs swooshed out of me quickly as I deflated, despair crawling up my throat and making me feel sick. My eyes stung with tears that I knew weren't falling any time soon. "I'm sorry," I croaked out, blinking rapidly.

He looked up from the ash, surprise entering his eyes. "You?" he asked, and I nodded jerkily, hanging my head as shame washed over me.

"He… He wouldn't stop coming at me," I whispered, raking my hands down my face. "I k-killed him, Milo! I killed him." I shook my head, guilt clutching at my heart, horror churning my stomach. "I killed him. I took his life, he's _dead_ dead, because of me. Here one second and gone the next, forever."

Milo sighed deeply, sounding so tired I wondered how it was possible that we could never sleep. "It's okay," he tried soothing me.

My brows furrowed. _It's okay._ "It's…okay…?"

_Tyler's brown eyes struggled to focus on me as I sneered down at him, both my hands holding a firm grip on either side of his head. A snarl erupted from my chest at the defeated look in those eyes, the resignation._

_"It's okay," he murmured, closing his eyes and taking one last breath._

"No." I shook my head, looking up at Milo and narrowing my eyes into a glare. "No! None of this is okay. Everything is very _not_ okay, Milo! How can you all think this is okay? How can you accept this? Are you _all_ heartless bastards around here?"

Milo stared at me for a long time after that, letting his legs slide out from beneath him to sit on the floor, leaning against the wall. He looked over to the ash, pinching some between his index finger and thumb, sprinkling it onto his other hand. Watching him, I felt like I had a lead ball in my stomach, knowing that those ashes used to be Tyler, a _person_, and Milo was casually…playing with them. I grimaced, swallowing deeply. If he was trying to make me sick, then he was doing a good job of it.

I wasn't quite sure if I actually _could_ get sick, throw up, though.

"I gave up the fight a long time ago," he suddenly said. My eyes flickered back up to his empty ones. "It's…easier this way. To just give in to Aro, to your instincts, to the vampire. It's so much easier than fighting them all every step of the way." He looked sideways at me, frowning slightly. "Fighting is, ultimately, futile, Bella. You're wasting your time and putting yourself through so much unnecessary pain. They win. They always win."

I shook my head, already denying that. I couldn't believe it; I couldn't believe that they won. That they always win. "They only win when you give up, Milo. I won't let them turn me into a killer, into a mindless puppet like the rest of you," I snapped.

"You already are a killer. Don't you get it yet?" he growled. His hand shot out, pointing to the ash. "You see that? That's on you. That's _his_ blood on _your_ hands, Bella. You weren't ordered to kill him, you just _did_."

My chest screamed in pain as I clutched at my heart that felt like it was going to explode, full to the brim with remorse and sorrow.

I…killed him.

Had Aro already won?

"I-it was self defense!"

Milo glared at me, shaking his head. "It doesn't matter if it was self defense or not, you _chose_ to kill him to save yourself. That will always be _your_ choice, _your_ decision to end him." He blurred to his feet, running a hand through his hair. A deep sigh shook his broad shoulders before he turned back to me, his eyes pleading. "I'm trying to help you here, Bella. Aro won't stop with this, he will keep going, keep trapping you and putting you in scenarios until you break and obey him. Just give in, it's so much easier."

"How the hell is that helping me?" I snarled, crossing my arms over my chest to glare at his shoes.

He pointed back to the ash. "This is on you. Your choice. Your decision."

"Stop saying that!" I screamed at him, clamping my hands over my ears. It wasn't my fault… I couldn't help it…Tyler was trying to kill me! I had to stop him.

Cool arms wrapped around my shoulders as Milo pulled me into his chest. "Just give in, Bella. It won't be your choice anymore. It will be Aro's. The blood you spill will be on his hands. You won't feel better, but you won't feel this bad anymore. No more guilt, no more shame."

No more guilt?

"It won't be your responsibility anymore," he cooed, stroking my back. "It won't be your fault. The fight will be over."

I had as much as I could take of this already, but apparently Aro was only just getting started. The twisted bastard thought this was a _game_, not a fight. He was _enjoying_ this. It was _fun_ for him; he could keep it up so much longer than I could.

"A weapon doesn't _choose_ to kill, and therefore doesn't have to live with the consequences of that choice, Bella. Doesn't that sound _so_ much easier? You won't have to feel like this ever again."

I was at the edge of a cliff. Granted, it was a metaphorical cliff, but the fall was great all the same. And here was Milo, the only other person here who was on my side, trying to look out for me and help me. His silver tongue was making more and more sense, luring me closer and closer to the edge, persuading me to…just jump. No, I don't even have to jump. Just let go and fall.

"Aren't you tired of fighting?"

How much harder was it to stand there? My legs were shaking, were dying to just give out and collapse, it was taking every single ounce of strength I had to just _stand_ there at that edge. It would be so easy, _so easy_, to fall.

"I…I don't know… Milo, I'm scared," I whispered, shaking my head and pulling back to look up into his face. "I don't want to feel like this anymore, but…"

He shook his head, reaching into his blazer and pulling out a plastic bag. I had been to the hospital when I was human enough times to know that this was obviously a medical blood bag, though instead of a blood type on it, it had Aro's name.

I had wondered, with the four of us "special" vampires drinking from him, how he would keep his strength up all the time, and this made sense. He probably gave blood a few times a week, and _had_ been doing so for a while, so his blood was in storage. Sulpicia must have done that as well, since she couldn't be here often enough to feed the vamps but still had to have her blood in them to keep them under control. They probably had enormous refrigerators full of blood.

"No buts, Bella," he said, holding the bag out to me. "Just give in. Listen to your vampire; Aro's blood is what it wants, _this_ is where it wants to be, under his rule." He looked up at me, something flashing in his eyes. Pain? Regret? "Can't you feel it? This is what it wants, this is what you really want, Bella. _Just give in._"

I could feel the fangs in my mouth tingle and throb, my throat bursting into flames and my mouth flooding with venom as I stared at the deep crimson sloshing around in the bag. Milo's voice muffled out until I couldn't hear it anymore, his entire being fading into the background. This _was_ what I wanted. Why was I fighting it so much? Why was I torturing myself like this, denying what I truly am now?

I had to accept it.

Aro had won.

_This_ was what I wanted more than anything else, I…

_I heard shuffling on the other side of the door before it opened, and a sleepy looking Alice blinked up at me._

_Her short, dark hair that was always in spikes still was. Kind of. It wasn't styled, more like sticking up in random places from rolling around in her sleep, down flat in other places, hanging in her face. Her unique golden eyes were hidden behind the black locks, a honey golden with lighter specks within them, surrounded by thick black lashes. Her blood red lips pulled up into a warm, affectionate smile, her small pale hand running through her hair, bringing it back out of her face to reveal the sapphire outline of the moon on her forehead._

_"Bella, hey," she said. Her voice was raspy and rough from sleep, making me swallow hard as I smiled in return. "What are you doing up so early? You're not usually, are you?" she asked, yawning and stretching, her T shirt riding up her belly._

_Ripping my eyes from her smooth stomach, I shoved my hands into my pockets, looking down at my feet and the red suspenders still hanging by my knees. "Uh, no, not usually. I just, er, wanted to talk to you."_

_Alice chuckled, her eyes lighting up more as she smiled and pulled me into her room. "Sure, sure, come in," she said, closing the door behind us. "What's up?" She fell back onto her bed, sprawled out, patting next to her._

I shook my head, dispelling the images from my mind until I could clearly see the blood bag again.

"Alice…"

Gasping, my hand shot up to grip my chest, dropping the blood bag to the floor at my feet.

_Alice, Alice, Alice, Alice…_

It was like a chant in the back of my head getting stronger and stronger until it blocked out the guilt, blocked out the pain, blocked out the blood lust, until I was filled with such longing and want I felt crippled by it. I crumpled to the floor.

Through it all, one thing became abundantly clear:

I needed Alice.

Nothing else mattered other than returning to her, and that meant I needed to get away from _here_.

My eyes slowly traveled over to the blood bag lying next to my pale hand.

And if I was going to get away from here, I needed to be able to leave this room. I needed Aro to trust me enough to give me more freedom.

The blood sloshed around as I lifted up the bag and stared down at it intently.

There was only one way he would trust me.

I looked back up at Milo, swallowing down the venom pooling in my mouth. "I will obey."

In the next instant, the thick, sweet blood was putting out the flames in my throat.

**XXxxXXxxXXxxXX**

Milo stepped back out of Renata's room, pulling the giant oak door closed behind him. Bella was on the other side, preparing to shower in Renata's attached washroom, and he was off to find her some clothes. He was relieved she finally deigned hygiene important enough to take care of, not that she stank, but her blood had been very…potent, her scent strong and alluring. Even dried into her old clothes, it was taking its toll on his thirst.

He rounded the corner at the end of the hallway, stopping dead in his tracks at the figure before him. He quickly bowed his head, his body stiffening as he felt Sulpicia's dark eyes on him.

"Milo." She grinned, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Where might you be off to in such a hurry? I thought I asked a favour of you."

Grimacing, he slowly raised his head to look the Vampyre in the face. "I'm getting clothes for Bella; she's showering."

"I trust you've…persuaded her to see things clearly now?" Sulpicia asked, folding her arms across her chest. "She won't be giving Aro trouble anymore."

Regret flashed across his face before he could duck his head in time, earning a scowl. "She won't," he agreed.

"Carry on then," she said distastefully. "Samantha took the liberty of acquiring new clothes for the girl this morning. They're being stored in the room at the end of the hall."

Milo nodded and scurried off before Sulpicia could ask any more "favours" of him. He wasn't surprised the girl's wardrobe had already been replaced, and every other need of hers was probably already accommodated, with people waiting to jump at the snap of her fingers.

_Everyone_ knew how important Aro's toys were to him, and therefore they were treated like royalty, as to not make him cross.

**XXxxXXxxXXxxXX**

**Alice**

"Do you…have wings?" Emmett's booming voice rang out in the early morning as the four stepped off the bus and onto the sidewalk of Elkington Avenue.

Eve tapped her chin with a sly grin. "Yes," she chimed, stretching in the morning's sunlight. She had been up all night for her classes, like usual, and was…sleepy. Not exhausted sleepy, though, more like when she used to first wake up in the morning while she was human. An early morning sleepy, something she hadn't felt in years.

Sometimes she missed being human.

Alice gave the two an annoyed look, something akin to a scowl that the two either couldn't see or chose to ignore. She had been listening to them going back and forth for the past twenty minutes, playing that _stupid_ game over and over again until she wanted to smash her face on the bus window.

"Can you fly?" he asked, shoving his hands into his pockets.

A bored sigh escaped Rosalie's lips as she strutted down the sidewalk ahead of them. She wasn't very much of a fan of the game either.

Eve giggled, skipping off after the tall blonde, leaving the pixie and the giant trailing behind. "Nope!"

"You're a penguin!" He cheered, pumping his fist into the air.

Eve looked over her shoulder at Emmett, lifting a light eyebrow. "Penguins can fly."

The giant paused mid-step, his triumphant features paused on his face, his fist still in the air. Confusion slowly scrunched his face up as he finally lowered his fist, furrowing his brows. "No," he drawled out slowly, uncertain. "Penguins can't fly."

"They have wings, Emmett," she pressed, her eyes so wide and honest Emmett had a hard time not believing her. "Why would you think they couldn't fly?"

He glanced over to Alice and then up to Rosalie, both of whom were giving him curious stares but remained too silent. "My… my third grade teacher. He said," the giant pouted, sticking out his lip.

Penguins cannot fly.

The corner of Alice's mouth curved up as she decided to get in on this game. _This_ was one she could see herself enjoying. "Obviously he was making a joke, Emmett. You didn't take him seriously, did you?"

He ran a large hand through his dark hair, his eyes slightly desperate. "W-well…I…penguins can't fly, can they, Rosie?" he asked, quickening his pace to catch up to his girlfriend.

The statuesque blonde looked over at her gullible teddy bear, her face softening as she smiled at him. "Birds can fly, yes?" she asked. He hesitated, looking up at the sky, and then nodded. "And birds have wings. Penguins are birds, and penguins have wings. It stands to reason that penguins can fly too, don't you agree?"

Emmett's eyes flickered from Rosalie's vibrant green ones to Eve's light grey ones and then to Alice's unique golden ones. All three girls nodded encouragingly. He considered it for a moment before slowly nodding himself. "Yeah, I guess that does make more sense," he pondered aloud. He chuckled after a moment, grinning widely. "Well, I'm glad I made that mistake now and you guys corrected me instead of in front of someone else."

Eve's grin turned wicked as she patted his large arm. "Yes, I imagine we've saved you a _world_ of embarrassment in future conversations about penguins."

"Hmm," Alice hummed to herself, giving Emmett a speculative look. "Makes me wonder if you've also misconstrued the expression 'blind as a bat' as well," she said after a moment.

The giant's eyes widened. "Wait, bats _aren't_ blind?"

The girls all exchanged innocent smiles.

**XxxxXXxxXXxxXX**

**Poor, trusting Emmett. **

**So there y'all have it, chapter...seventeen? Tell me what you think of it and such forth. I've taken all your suggestions from the options I gave at the last chapter and have come to a decision, though I can't rightly say without spoiling it, so y'all will have to wait and see.**

**Leave a review pleeeease? **

**-Paige**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I also don't own the House of Night series or anything of theirs. Those belong to Stephanie Meyer, P.C and Kirsten Cast.**

**Rated: T.**

**Author: Paige Turner.**

**Summary: AU. "I didn't know how or why, but this pixie looking girl was different than everyone else. Even the people at **_**this**_** school, and that was saying something." A/B, Ed/J, R/Em, Es/C. **

**ESME**

The amount of information on Werewolves, Shape Shifters, and everything in between was phenomenal, whether it was in books, on the internet, stories passed down through families generation after generation, or otherwise. It was a never ending stream of legends, myths, and lore; an onslaught of facts and fiction. The sheer amount had been enough to make Esme feel faint when she had began.

The Vampyre had never been much of a scholar or very studious in life, her marks in school were slightly higher than average at best. She hadn't been the best at speeches or public speaking, often developing a dry mouth or numb lips before a performance. In gym she wasn't the last to be picked, but she most certainly wasn't the first; she'd never climbed the rope all the way to the ceiling in her life. When it came to art, Esme stuck to stick figures and basic shapes. Things had the tendency to explode around her in the science lab, Shakespeare just confused her, and Geometry had a personal vendetta it was adamant on taking out on her.

All in all, there wasn't anything particular about Esme that seemed overly impressive. Not that she could see, at least. She had spent the first seven years at this House, wondering just _why_ Shekinah of all people had chosen her as a High Priestess. The previous candidate had her beat in almost every way; she was brilliant, athletic, and charismatic.

But what Esme couldn't see had been blatantly obvious to everyone else the girl had ever met; Esme Platt had the kindest, most pure heart anyone had ever seen before. She constantly went above and beyond for her friends, treated everyone she came into contact with as if they were family, and not once had she so much as glared at another person.

_That_ was why Susan Thompson was passed up on the position, _that_ was why Esme had been elected a chair on the council at such a young age, and _that_ was why she had spent the last two days straight fighting her way through all of that information. A fledgling was missing, possibly being held captive, and she wouldn't rest until they were back at the House, safe and sound.

Of course, the woman wouldn't turn down help when offered -she was a saint, not delusional- and had whole heartedly agreed when Cole insisted they could get through it quicker with two people. She told him, with so much guilt in her eyes that had he not already known she was lying he would've then, that she was crunching through all of this information for facts, practical legends and myths, for the new course she was starting later that month. She was glad he didn't ask anymore questions, knowing she wouldn't be able to keep lying straight to his face.

The two were currently in her office, as per usual, she had her desk _covered_ in papers and books and journals, while Cole sat on the sofa in front of a coffee table, one that was in a similar condition. It was then that he came across something curious, and the boy sat back on the sofa, re-reading the page in a notebook Esme had been using before. His brows furrowed when he looked up. "High Priestess?" he asked.

Without looking up from her own journal, she flipped the page. "Yes, dear?"

"You have an entry in here about a potential pack of Shape Shifters up in Washington, local sightings of impossibly big animals in many of the wooded areas." He said, looking over the news paper clippings that were stapled into the book.

Finally Esme looked up. "Yes."

He bit his lip. "Well...these are recent, like, _really_ recent. Some of them are from just three years ago." Cole slowly shook his head. "La Push, that's right beside a small town called Forks. Isn't that where Bella's from?"

The woman was up and taking the notebook from him the next second, smiling sheepishly as she closed it, holding it close to her chest. "Why yes, I think it is. What a coincidence. Why don't you take a look at this book here, there are some promising leads about a lone Werewolf in Europe," she insisted, pushing a different book into his hands.

"Did you ever talk to Bella about this? Maybe she knew about them, living right next door and all."

"No," Esme sighed deeply, sitting down on the sofa next to him. "I didn't get the chance to. There were a few things I never got the chance to talk to her about." she said sadly. "I always thought there was time later, I wanted her to settle in at first, then I wanted to give her a chance to make friends. Then everything with your affinities and tattoos happened, and after that drama ensued."

Cole shook his head again, smirking slightly. "Never a dull moment in the life of Bella Swan."

"Certainly not," she agreed. She sighed once more before patting his knee and getting to her feet. "It's getting late, you should head off to bed."

He placed the book down on the coffee table and stood as well, stretching his stiff muscles before walking over to the door of the office. "I've seen those circles you're trying to hide under your eyes. You need some sleep, too."

With a feeble smile, Esme tapped a few keys on her computer and looked down at one of the papers on her desk, crossing something out. "I will soon. I have some things to do first."

"Goodnight, High Priestess," Cole murmured before closing the door behind him.

**Xxxxxxxx**

**JASPER**

Raven peered out of the blinds in Eve's window, grunting and squinting her eyes against the light as she searched for her friend outside. The group had been waiting up for him for nearly an hour now and Alice, Eve, Emmett, and Rosalie were antsy to get going and continue their search in the city. Cole, however, had just texted them all saying that he had some news and needed to talk to them, so those who had already been in bed and woken up had trudged over, and those who were sneaking to the front gates had stopped and turned back, and now they were all holed up in the dorm room, waiting.

There were a few different emotions bouncing around the room, though the one common denominator was anxiety. No one knew exactly what kind of news Cole would bring, and frankly their luck hadn't been the best lately, so most were expecting the worst. However, from one occupant of the room there was a distinct lack of…well, anything actually. Jasper looked up, wondering who had zoned out, and met the blank stare of Alice.

The pixie had been getting quieter and quieter lately, more often than not throwing herself into her visions, or trying to at least. Bella's absence was taking its toll on the girl and this was the only way she could see the brunette. Jasper was getting worried, though. Each time she came back from a vision, there was less there. Like she was leaving pieces of herself in them, so much so that Rosalie had taken over as the unofficial leader of their little mission. The fact that Alice didn't seem to notice or even _care_, something she would have jumped on with fists flailing before, was not a good sign.

He knew that they were starting to lose Alice, too. Piece by piece, bit by bit, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Not unless they found Bella.

"He's here." Edward said, looking up at the door in time to see Cole slip in and close it behind him.

Noticing all the impatient looks and pyjamas of some of his friends, Cole gave them all a sheepish smile. "Sorry guys, there were a couple Warriors that stopped me to ask what I was doing. Esme had to come down and tell them I was with her."

"We didn't stick around for a play-by-play," Rosalie snapped, getting up from Eve's bed. "What news do you have?"

"Oh, right." The blonde rolled her eyes, crossing her arms in annoyance. "Okay, well you know how I told you all that Esme has been researching Werewolves and Shape Shifters?"

Eve had finished retying her shoes for the third time and looked up. "She's thinking of starting a new class for seniors, right?"

"That's what I thought," he nodded. "At first I wasn't sure why she was throwing herself into so much work, and why she was in such a hurry. I figured maybe she was just trying to keep busy because of everything that's happened, but then today I came across news paper clippings and notes in her book. I think she actually might have been onto something, she pieced together stories and pictures, locations, and everything."

With a large yawn that sounded more like a yeti's mating call, Emmett stretched his arms over his head, giving Cole a sleepy look. Being up nineteen hours of the day left him and the girls more tired than usual. "So, what, there's Werewolves out there after all?"

"Not Werewolves, at least, not these ones. These are Shape Shifters."

"Dogs, no dogs, what does this have to do with us?" Jasper asked curiously.

Cole stepped forward, looking eager to tell. "Well, the locations of these sightings just so happened to be La Push, Washington."

"What?" Alice's head snapped up and whipped around to look at Cole with wide eyes. "That's where we found Bella in the woods."

"I _knew_ it!" He cheered loudly. "I knew there was a connection between the two."

Rosalie's brows furrowed. "I don't understand, how are they connected?"

"I heard Bella talking about her dog once, with Emmett - remember?" Cole watched the giant nod in confusion. "And remember when you asked where he was, if not with her? She said back home in Forks. Forks is basically down the road from La Push. She used to live right next door to these potential Shape Shifters. I asked Esme about it, but she stumbled over her answer. She's up to more than just planning a course. I…I think she's still looking into Bella's death."

"She's not dead!" Alice snarled, getting to her feet. Eve was the first to react, jerking forward to catch the growling pixie before she could attack Cole.

"He didn't mean it like that!" The elf exclaimed, struggling to hold Alice to her. "He just forgot to use air quotes." She glared at the boy until he nodded furiously, holding up his fingers in the quotes. "Calm down, Alice. We know she isn't dead."

Golden eyes flickered off to the side, a memory suddenly popping up in her mind. "No…but her friend is. Two of them."

"What are you talking about?" Jasper asked, more relieved than anything about her little outburst while the others were mostly shocked and unsettled. Anger was better than nothing, _anything_ was better than nothing in his books.

Calmed down once again, Alice gave Eve a small smile and apologetic eyes to Cole who nodded, and sat back down on Bella's bed next to the elf. "When she woke up, she was talking about someone…Sam was his name, I think. Her parents reminded her that he was dead but she swore she saw him and chased him into the woods. Her friend, Jacob, had a similar fate but she thought that maybe if Sam was still alive, then Jacob could be as well."

"I still don't get it," Rosalie sighed. "She has dead friends. Big deal."

Edward rolled his eyes, everyone decidedly ignoring the insensitive words. "Apparently Esme asked Bella's father a little more about this," he continued for the pixie. "There were a few boys on the reservation who met untimely deaths. The locals were convinced there was some kind of a curse."

"If I had to take a guess," Alice interjected. "I would say that they didn't have open casket funerals." Raven's head tilted to the side. "Let's say there isn't a curse, or not one that's killing those boys, at least. Let's say it's more of a…Shape Shifter curse. That community was dead set against Vampyres. Shape Shifters are only a stone's toss away. These boys probably wouldn't hang around out in the open."

The blonde tapped her chin, the gears in her head turning. "You think they staged their deaths? So no one would go looking for them?"

"If they had closed casket funerals? Yes. Is there anyway we can call and ask someone about that kind of thing?" Alice asked, looking around the room.

Raven nodded her head, her brows furrowed. "I could poke around online and find the closest funeral business around there, make some calls."

"So what then?" Emmett asked. "If it turns out they _are_ Shape Shifters, what then? What use are they to us?"

"If Bella had a connection to them, it could be a possibly reason why Sulpicia…did what she did to her." Cole said, glancing to Alice nervously. "We still don't know _why_ she did it."

A lightbulb went off in Jasper's head and he sat up straight. "And if they were Bella's friends, they would want to know she's in trouble and would probably want to help. We could use it. We don't know _who_ all is involved with Sulpicia and we don't' know what kind of security she's got Bella under. There could be a fight or something worse. Numbers and giant animals on our side would make me feel better."

"How do we find them?" Eve asked, shaking her head. "And how would we explain having them here?"

Rosalie pressed her lips into a thin line. "Esme wants a course studying Werewolf and Shape Shifter lore, what better way to study than hands on with actual people?" She grinned. "We can say Cole found them for her."

"Okay, but that leaves _how_ we're going to find them," Eve pointed out.

"That's easier." Edward said, running a hand through his hair, gathering the bronze locks out of his face. "Bella chased one through the woods in La Push, that means they're sticking around close. What reason would they have, if they're pretending to be dead?" He looked around the room at blank faces. "Someone still has ties to someone else in that community. A family that needs help being supported, a wife, something. We just have to go down there and find that person or people."

Emmett frowned. "People are going to notice if we just don't show up for class."

"Only one or two of us will go," Edward replied. "The others will find some way to cover for us."

Rosalie snorted. "And how do you plan on not keeling over like Bella without an adult vamp?" Eve grabbed Alice again as the pixie threw herself at the blonde. "You need to take a pill, midget. You're too sensitive - we _know_ she's not dead."

He frowned deeply, leaning back against the headboard. "We'll have to finally bring a professor into this. I was thinking Carlisle, he's the only adult other than Esme who knows all of what's going on, and we can trust him."

"How do we know he won't tell Esme what we're doing?" Raven asked.

Alice sighed, staring down at the corner of the room with a far away look in her golden eyes. "We'll have to convince him somehow. He'll understand," she insisted. "He has to."

**xxxxxxx**

**Sulpicia**

Classrooms sucked.

They really, really, _really_ sucked. There wasn't a single thing she liked about them; they were small, they were stuffy, they smelled bad from all the annoying children coming and going, desks were never where you left them and at the end of the day you _always_ smacked your hip on a corner, they were crowded with crap and that crap wasn't even your own. She couldn't stand the fledglings who sat there for hours at a day, all of them ungrateful for the knowledge she was just _giving_ them, free of charge. She heard their grumbles, felt their glares, could hear them snickering about her. She saw them doodling stupid drawings in their books or passing notes, watched them stick gum, _how she hated gum_, under the tables and desks.

She hated them all, every single one.

Unworthy, the lot of them.

Why couldn't there be more students like Isabella? Or Jane, she _really_ liked Jane and her brother. Why was there no children like them anymore? Conniving, merciless, talented. Special. Where had all the special fledglings gone?

She glared at Julie Simmons as the girl eagerly raised her hand to answer a question. "It's a negative reaction!" The girl gushed before being called on.

Sulpicia plastered on a smile, picturing herself throwing the acid base into the girl's face. "Very good, Julie."

The little twerp grinned proudly, glancing around the room to bask in her victory.

Ha. Victory. What a laugh.

They would see what true victory looks like, _all_ of them.

Soon.

A little girl like her couldn't know victory, wouldn't truly achieve it until she was older. How could she? Chained down by innocence.

She had been like that once upon a time, too naive to fight properly for _her_ future House, _her_ future position as High Priestess. _Esme_ had gotten than victory, swooping into the House with her warm smiles and kind face.

Sulpicia's genius had been overlooked for _pleasantries_. The thought made her sick.

Her mind flashed back to that unfortunate day she met Esme Platt…

_"And presto! Just like that it covers our Mark, easy as pie," the girl grinned up at her Chemistry Professor. "It's thick enough that it won't just rub off, but light enough so it doesn't feel like a mask or pull on your face!"_

_The professor smiled widely, his hands on his hips. "Brilliant, as always. Do you mind if we take it to the High Priestess after my class? I can write you a note for your next teacher. I think…" Movement caught his eye and he looked up out the window of his classroom door, smiling wider and waving someone inside. The nervous girl quickly slipped into the room, hugging her books to her chest, her caramel locks falling around her shoulders. "Class, we have a new fledgling at the House. Please give Miss Platt a warm welcome. Here, child, have a seat next to Susan."_

_With a grateful smile, Esme quickly sat down on the stool next to the dark haired girl, waiting for the teacher to get back to his classes before she relaxed. She sighed quietly, looking up from her books and turned to her table partner. "Hello, I'm Esme."_

_"Susan," she replied with a smile. "Not for long, hopefully. I'm thinking of changing my name to something less boring when I graduate and become a full grown adult Vampyre. Something more exotic, you know?"_

_Esme nodded, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear. "I guess. Susan's a nice name, though, Vampyre or not."_

_"No, it's old and boring and I hate it. It's just as stupid as Esme," Susan glared. This girl hadn't agreed with her._

_People _always_ agreed with her. She was always right, why wouldn't they?_

_"Oh," Esme muttered, her eyes wide. "I… I'm sorry?"_

_"Whatever, stop talking to me, I need to focus."_

Even back then Esme had to have things her way, she couldn't just agree and see things from Sulpicia's point of view. What kind of name was Susan? It was the name of some old housewife, not a powerful, brilliant Vampyre like herself.

Things had just escalated from there; the dense girl wouldn't leave her alone during the classes they shared, always asking for help and sitting beside her, like they were _friends_, tricking Sulpicia's friends into liking _her_, stealing Carlisle Cullen's attention, the only other intellectual fledgling in the House, and blundering around like a fool. She couldn't believe everyone else actually _fell_ for that act. _Who_ was that clumsy, spilling pudding everywhere and making such a mess?

Her teachers, her friends, Carlisle, her attention, all of that wasn't enough for Esme, though. No, she had to go even _farther_ and have the audacity to actually _steal_ her position as High Priestess in training. She had _stolen_ her future without so much as a second thought.

Not for long…

She would get hers soon.

**xxxxxxx**

**EVE**

"I still can't believe how cool you are about this, Carlisle," Eve chirped from her seat in the back of the car. She watched as the House got smaller and smaller in the back window as they drove off, wondering how the others would be without them there. She turned back around in her seat, smiling brightly. "I thought for sure you'd run off to Esme and tell on us."

Carlisle shook his head with a smile of his own, squinting behind his sunglasses at the morning's light. "The thought never even entered my mind." Edward snorted. "Oh. Right. Well maybe for a second or two, but I'm hip, I can keep this on the DL."

Horrified, Edward stared at the man with wide, green eyes. "You did _not_ just pull an old geezer, Professor."

"What? I'm down with this, dude." Carlisle said, looking away from the road for a mere second to glance at Edward's face. His hands, in the ten and two o'clock positions on the wheel, tightened and he checked the mirrors again, counting to four in his head to make sure he wasn't too close to the car in front of him. "I'll have you know I went on my own little secret rendevouses when I was your age. Nothing quite as elaborate, it was usually to sneak off to the movies, but the theory is still the same."

"He's an adorable old man!" Eve gushed from the backseat, leaning forward to hang on the blonde's shoulder.

Huffing, Carlisle narrowed his eyes at the road. "I am _not_ old. Nor am I 'adorable' or any of that nonsense. I am distinguished, thank you."

"He's so cute!" She cooed, grinning up at Edward who chuckled. "Like a puppy!"

Leaning back in his seat and closing his eyes, Edward shook his head as he listened to the two go back and forth on what was deemed cute or not. "This is going to be a long drive…"

**xxxxxxxx**

The song on the radio ended, the disk jockey's voice filling the car and Eve sighed to herself. Edward didn't want to play anymore car games no matter how many times she asked and Carlisle was too scared to look away from the road to play, and now she was _so bored_ she could hardly stand it.

Humming, Eve sat up straighter in the seat and looked to the window beside her. Doodling always helped to pass the time… she lifted her hand and pressed her palm against the warm glass, closing her eyes. She heard the quiet almost-tinkling of the window freezing and opened her eyes again, watching as the frost spread from her hand and covered the window. She grinned and started scratching doodles into the frost with her nail.

From the front seat, Carlisle glanced into the rear view mirror to see what the youngest fledgling was doing. He smiled softly at her antics and looked over to Edward who seemed to be fighting off sleep. He decided they needed something other than their boredom to focus on and shifted in his seat. "So, I've been doing a little of my own research lately," he began, gaining their attention. "After everything that's happened, I wanted to do something for you guys. Mostly those in the circle. I'm sorry, Edward, this has no personal tie to you."

"It's fine, Professor. _Anything_ to pass the time," he insisted, desperate for something to break the silence.

"Right," Carlisle blinked. "Anyway, I've been searching and searching, and lately I've been looking into those tattoos you have." His grey eyes flickered up into the mirror again, quickly glancing at the sapphire swirls framing Eve's blue eyes. "I've come across something quite interesting. I'm not one hundred percent sure, but I believe you have a connection to Nyx's very first Vampyre children. Whether it's your affinities or blood, I'm not sure. The fact that you all ended up being Marked at relatively the same time and came here, to _our_ House, and coincidentally at that, well it's...remarkable. Unbelievable, really."

The silence following what Carlisle had just said was heavy as the other two fledglings stared blankly at the man. He shifted uncomfortably under their gazes and waited for them to catch up. Edward was the first, looking back at Eve who seemed to be struggling for words, and shook his head. "I beg your pardon? Did you... did you just say they may be related to the first...the _very_ first ancient Vampyres?"

"Yes," Carlisle nodded. "I believe I did. You see, shortly after they acquired those tattoos, Esme and I had spent days in the library, searching high and low for answers. We called other High Priestesses, librarians, and history Professors at multiple other Houses, and still we found nothing. Esme booked a meeting with Shekinah in a couple weeks from now to discuss them, and I guess everything that's happened with Sulpicia now."

He looked back at Eve again, nodding at her. "She asked Professor Victoria to do some rough sketches of each of your tattooing for a visual. Just a few days ago did someone finally contact her back, though she's been busy so I took the call. The History Keeper on the council and I spoke for a few hours and he mailed nearly a dozen books and journals, I've finally gotten through them. The first Vampyres to walk amongst humans were documented as being covered in exotic designs, as if painted on their skin. I did a little more digging and each one had an affinity for one of the five elements."

"Like us?" Eve asked, trying to wrap her head around everything Carlisle was saying.

Carlisle gave the girl a reassuring nod. He couldn't imagine what was going through her mind at that moment; finding out that, quite possible, her ancestor was one of the very first Vampyres ever created. He couldn't wait to tell her more about them and blow her away with the tales and legends. "Yes, like you. That's actually why I believe you're connected; your affinities and tattooing. Either that or their gifts were given to you by Nyx." He shook his head. "If that's so, I can only imagine why or what grand plans she has in store for you. Either way, I think there's something bigger than all of us going on."

"You got that right," Edward murmured. His brows furrowed as he looked back at Carlisle, giving Eve more time to gather herself again. "Just how old are their…ancestors? When did the first Vampyres come to be?"

"Thousands of years ago," the blonde replied brightly. "Think 'ancient Greece'. In fact, many people had mistakenly taken them as goddesses and a god. Each one of them was born from their element and all of them were so obviously not human that people didn't know what else to think."

Edward hummed, hearing all the unspoken words and stories continuing in Carlisle's mind. "So you have _factual_ information about them?"

"Oh yes, those five created the very first Council. The next generation to take over kept records, as did the one after that, so on and so forth all up to today. You could say history, archives, records, tales, and everything inbetween are Vampyres'…thing. We live nearly three times as long as a healthy human, so it's only natural that we experience more, witness more."

"What was her name?" Eve suddenly asked, turning her bright eyes to the Professor. "My ancestor."

She couldn't explain it, but she suddenly wanted to know everything about this person. Family was always a…sore spot for Eve, her own parents disowning and kicking her out the door when she was Marked, too ashamed to send so much as a postcard. To now find out that not only did she have family who was once a Vampyre, but that she shared the same affinity, well, she wanted to know more. Was this person like her? Was she funny? Was she smart? Would she have liked Eve?

She had only _just_ learned about this person but already she felt this…connection, like she was closer to her than any other family member, this woman who was long since dead. Knowing they both had her affinity, like a family heirloom passed down to her, something more special than anything she could think of… it made her feel less lonely.

Her blue eyes flickered back up to the frosted window, her body feeling a warmth it hadn't in a long time.

"Her name was Ekho, the eldest of the five of them." Carlisle said gently with a soft smile. "You would have liked her, I think. There wasn't a more fitting element for such a kind, compassionate, thoughtful, and sweet person. As time went on, it was actually her idea to start the Houses when more and more Vampyres were being born. People were not as open minded or tolerant of our kind so long ago, and she wanted to create a safe haven for the children. A place where they could learn like all the other kids while not having to fear the humans' wrath."

Edward straightened in his seat as he noticed the sign ahead. "We're here."

"If you want, I can show you the books and journals some time to learn more about her?" Carlisle said, pulling onto the gravel road leading to the reservation.

Eve smiled, touching the frosted window and nodded. "Ekho… yeah, I think I'd like to know more about her."

**xxxxxxxx**

The first resident of La Push who met the Vampyres was Stew Treevers, Jeremy's father and the most outspoken of his hatred for Vampyres.

The bell above the gas station's door rang and the man had grunted a welcoming, not looking up from his magazine behind the counter. It was the newest issue of his favourite car magazine and he'd been looking forward to some quiet time to read it all day, and this was the only time things around town ever settled down enough to do so. He saw the group of people walk in from the corner of his eye, expecting them to branch off, grab some snacks, drinks, or something. He didn't recognize them from the brief glance and figured they were just passing through.

Imagine his surprise when all three stepped up to the counter. The girl caught his attention first, the smallest with the lightest skin and hair as white as snow. Her eyes were a blue he'd never seen before, striking him, but the thing that really hit home was the markings on her face. Sapphire swirls…no, waves, were framing those blue eyes, branching off from a filled in crescent moon. He blinked a few times, quickly looking to the other two; another filled in moon and an outlined one…

"You gotta be kiddin' me," he growled. The large man's shoulders set as he fixed a glare onto his face. "Didn't we just run one of your kind outta here a month or so ago? Can't you damn Pale Faces take a hint?"

With a polite smile and a kind voice, Carlisle stepped forward a little more. "I must apologize for interrupting your reading, sir, but we're looking for some people. If you could point us in the right direction, or perhaps know how we can contact them, it would be greatly appreciated."

Stew narrowed his eyes, tilting his head side to side with a crack. "Get the hell outta my store and outta my town, leech."

"I'm sorry, but-"

Edward quickly stepped back, his emerald eyes widening. "Professor, I think maybe we should do as he says. That was him being _civil_."

"Nonsense, it will take but a moment, sir. I don't mind paying for the information, if that's what you are looking for." Carlisle said.

He gasped as Stew's hand shot out, grabbing a fist full of necktie and lapel, yanking him forward until the counter's edge was digging into Carlisle's gut. "I don't think you heard me, bloodsucker. I said get _out_," He pulled more, the edge of the counter now painfully pressing against Carlisle's hip bone. "Of my damn store and town before I gut you like a fish."

Staring down at the tanned hand gripping his clothes, Carlisle nodded. "I hear you, sir. There's no need for anymore physical altercations. We will leave."

With a triumphant grin, Stew shoved Carlisle back and crossed his arms over his chest. He watched the Vampyre fix his wrinkled tie and fix his clothes, idly rubbing his arms. Feeling her stare, he looked back down to the girl who was just standing there…grinning at him with an innocent smile. He frowned, a rather large shiver making its way from the top of his head to his feet. "What the…" He turned around, looking to the thermostat on the wall behind him, his eyebrows shooting up into his hairline. "How-" The rest of the words died on his tongue, his brown eyes crossing to watch his breath curl in the air like smoke.

"Excuse me, sir." A small, light voice said. He turned back to the other three, seeing that girl and now the boy smiling. He glared at them, rubbing his arms again. How did it get so _cold_ all of the sudden? "I was just wondering, have you ever seen the inside of a snow globe? It's kinda like a blizzard trapped within a small, contained space." Her blue eyes flickered to each of the walls, a mischievous glint entering them. "Like this little store here, for instance."

Stew stared at her for a long moment until turning back to Carlisle, clenching his jaw. "Who're you lookin' for?"

**xxxxxxxxxx**

"Everyone keeps saying they're all dead. We're not getting anywhere," Eve complained, climbing out of the car and squinting against the sun's light. "And I have a headache."

Carlisle placed his hand on her shoulder as they walked up to the front door of a small, red house, waiting while Edward knocked. "That's not true. We've finally found this Sam person's girlfriend. She was his fiance, if there's a tie keeping them around, this has to be it. People don't give up true love, Shape Shifter curse or not." He took a deep breath, hearing footsteps within the house. "Besides, there's always tomorrow. Who ever found what they were looking for on the first day? This may be a small town, but there are many people within it, many potential ties."

The door opened to reveal a young woman inside who looked more nervous than she had to. She pulled her dark hair up into a messy bun and leaned against the door frame in the space between the door, blocking the rest of the house from sight. She smiled tensely. "Hello."

Edward gave a crooked grin, hoping to put the girl at ease. "Hello, Emily." The girl's eyes widened and Edward frowned, holding up his hands. "I'm Edward, I should have started with that and asked your name. A friend in town gave us your name already though. I'm sorry." They had gotten a last name from the previous person they spoke to, while Edward got Emily from another mind in the house. They were male and wondering who was there to see her.

"Pleasure to meet you," Emily smiled. "Is there something I can do you for?"

Another door on the other side of the house opened, multiple pairs of feet padding into the house. Voices could be heard, for them at least, guys laughing and talking, a TV being turned on, and someone going through the refrigerator. Edward's brows furrowed as he counted. There were nearly a dozen minds buzzing with different things now; one was thinking about patrol later that night, the other about someone named Leah, someone else was wondering if the chinese food in the back was still good, another complaining about nothing good ever being on TV. There was one that caught his attention though, a confused voice wondering why they could _smell_ Vampyre.

"We're looking for your fiance, Sam Uley."

All the commotion inside stopped suddenly, Emily's grip on the door tightening as her eyes widened. "I-I'm sorry, but he died."

Feet were shuffling back out the door in the back of the house. Edward jerked forward, but Emily held firm in her stance. "Wait! Wait, Sam!" He called over her shoulder. "Please, we must speak with him." He said to Emily.

"Sam is dead," the girl insisted, her heart hammering in her chest as she fought the urge to look over her shoulder and make sure the boys were getting out of the house.

Carlisle ran a hand through his hair, trying to look over her. "This is most urgent. We know he is a Shape Shifter and we _must_ speak with him and the others."

"You need to leave my house now."

"Jacob!" Eve shouted.

"You're not welcome on my land anymore, please leave!"

"You don't understand, we won't tell anyone-"

"Sam, we must talk right away-"

"He's not here-"

Eve lunged forward, ducking under Emily's arm and forcing herself through the door. "Jacob! Bella's in danger!"

The commotion seemed to settle at those words as Emily whirled around, breathing deeply, her eyes wide, looking all around distraught at their cover falling apart. Edward was walking into the house to stand by Eve while Carlisle looked slightly embarrassed, standing in the doorway. A heartbeat passed before someone walked into the room from around the corner.

He was large, _really_ large. The two fledglings were used to being around Emmett, but this guy was much taller, his muscles longer rather than thicker like Emmett. His dark hair was cropped short, darker eyes staring at them, assessing them with worry and caution, his large arms folding across his bare chest. "What trouble?" he asked in a deep voice.

**xxxxxxxxxxx**

"So they know the plan?"

The fledglings all stood under one of the many statues of Nyx on the House grounds, huddled closer together in the cold, harsh winds. Other students stopped for brief moments to look and see what was going on at the front gates, while others cared less about their curiosity than their warmth and ran along to classes or the dorms. Rosalie, Alice, Eve, Edward, Jasper, Cole, Emmett, and Raven all stood together, watching the Shape Shifters, the Warriors, a couple professors, and Esme speak near the gates.

Edward nodded, listening to the conversation through Esme, relaying what was going on to the others. "Yes, Sam and Jacob spoke to the rest of their…pack, and they know to play the helpful tutors in front of Esme and the professors. Right now Esme's telling them where they can stay, letting them go settle in and start getting used to our reversed schedule. They're all dead on their feet, especially the ones who were patrolling the previous night."

"Patrolling?" Alice asked, tilting her head to the side as she watched the group of giants follow Esme and the Warriors across the grounds. She could finally understand why Jasper wanted these guys involved; she was definitely feeling a lot safer already.

Eve bounced on her feet, excited. "Yes! They were protectors back in La Push, constantly patrolling the town for any danger. Sam said not to be scared if you guys spot any giant wolves for the next little while, he's gonna get some of his boys to help the Warriors patrol." She turned to the others. "Giant _wolves_! Can you believe that? I can't wait to see what they look like!"

With a chuckle and a pat on the shoulder, Edward also faced the others. "Jacob also wants to go with you guys to search through the city during the day. I thought it was an excellent idea; they…well, they have the sense of smell of a bloodhound, no pun intended. It should speed things up tremendously." He paused, biting his lip as he looked down at the pixie hesitantly. "He also wants to meet you, Alice."

"Why me?"

"Eve filled him in on _everything_," he replied.

Golden eyes narrowed on the elf who whistled and looked away inconspicuously. "Alright. I'll find him later after class. We should all split up again before someone sees."

**xxxxxx**

**RAVEN**

_"I summon Spirit to cast our circle and ask that you fill us with connection, so that as your children we may prosper together."_

The dark haired girl lit her purple candle, holding it up above her head as she closed her eyes.

It was late and after everything she'd been going through and doing lately, she had always looked forward to the end of the night. She'd pull herself up the stairs to her dorm room, peel off her clothes, kick off her shoes, and do a face plant onto her bed, snoring until her alarm would go off the next day. Using her affinity between classes, during lunch, and any other spare time she could offer, while scheming under Esme's nose, plotting rescue missions, and putting up charades all at the same time, had really taken its toll on the girl, on all of them, and she found she was constantly exhausted.

However, tonight was a full moon. A full moon meant a Full Moon Circle Ritual, just like last month, the month before that, and the month before that. It was tradition. Hell, it was religion. _Every_ fledgling and _every_ Professor, and even the Warriors showed up at the Rec. Hall for the ceremony every single time. It was a way of connecting and being closer to the Goddess Nyx, to thank her, to ask of her, to do whatever you needed to.

Raven felt her element bubble up in her chest, warm and light and wonderful and _so good_. She couldn't help but smile, feeling her fatigue, her stress, her worry, and everything else melt away. She focused on it and on the purple candle in her hands, pushing it out into the room, onto everyone else.

Out of habit, her purply-violet eyes flickered over to where Rosalie would stand in the circle, taking in the empty space. She didn't even plan on coming to this herself, so why she expected the others to was ridiculous, but she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. They were grieving, or rather planning, scheming, doing everything she did all day, and were too exhausted to stand through this. Or maybe they didn't see the point with an incomplete circle again.

The thought had been tossed around in Raven's head. She had debated with herself if she really should have dragged herself down to the hall or not.

She realized, though, that even with everything going on, after everything that had happened, she was still part of the community. Of a family. The House was her home and the students and professors were her friends, her family, and they were being taken without even knowing it. She was going to be there for them any way she could, protect them the only way she knew how; her affinity, no matter how tired she was. No matter how upset she was.

She wouldn't let grief and stress and Sulpicia sever the ties she had with them, and lit her candle for them.

**xxxxxxx**

**ROSALIE**

_"From the North I summon Earth and ask that you grow within this circle the gift of manifestation, that the wishes and prayers from tonight will come to fruition."_

The two stared at the green candle sitting on the window sill, Rosalie feeling her element's energy running through her, Emmett watching with awe like every other time his love summoned her affinity.

Moonlight illuminated the House grounds and everything on them, including the main building and Training Hall. Rosalie's green eyes trailed off from her candle to the two windows she could see into from Emmett's room; Esme's office and the Training Hall's skylight. Both had lights on within them despite the late hour, both occupied with people who refused to sleep while a certain brunette was still missing.

It wasn't the first time Rosalie had noticed them. She stayed up some nights watching Esme at her desk going through book after book, journal after journal, and study her computer screen for hours on end.

She had seen one night, while Emmett snored on his side of the room and Bear snored on the other, as Esme set down the book she was reading. The adult vamp had scrubbed her hands over her tired face, hanging her head as she closed her eyes. Her lips had moved soundlessly, but Rosalie had done it herself enough times in life to know that the woman had been praying.

Those green eyes slid across to the Training Hall. Inside, she knew, Alice sat on the marble floor with dozens of canvases on the ground around her. Some were painted, images of Bella or the room she was in, others blank and waiting for visions. The girl was a mess, constantly covered in paint, dark bags under her eyes, and her hair frazzled. Rosalie had, against better judgment -or perhaps it _was_ her better judgment- gone out there once with some coffee for the girl who refused to leave or sleep. Inside she could hear sniffles and tears, a quiet voice begging the darkness to return Bella to them.

Rosalie had quickly turned around and left after that, knowing that Alice wouldn't want her to see the tears.

Not knowing what else she could do, Rosalie lit her candle for them.

**xxxxxx**

**COLE**

_"From the East I summon Air and ask that you carry to this circle the gift of knowledge that our ritual will be filled with learning."_

Cole looked up and around the library, searching for any librarians waiting to jump around the corner and scold him for lighting a candle near all the books.

He gazed back down at the grey candle, taking a deep breath that turned into a yawn. He stretched his tired limbs and shook his head, going back to the papers on the table in front of him. It was his job to keep track of…well, everything. Teachers the others deemed trustworthy, ones they didn't, others they still didn't know about, streets and blocks in the city that had been searched, ones that still needed to be walked, sketches and pictures of Alice's visions - ones that had anything to do with Bella, tabs on Sulpicia and her schedule, the warriors patrol paths and schedules, and now the wolves.

With a flick of his wrist, a small gust of wind swept over the table and flipped all the pages of one of the notebooks until it was closed. He sighed, rubbing his sore eyes, and scratched out something on another paper.

This was one of the…more suck-ish jobs that had been handed out, not that he was _ordered_ to do it. Someone had to and no one had been eager to jump at it. Eve was about to give in and take it, and though it would have been easier for Cole to let her, he had seen her wardrobe in the dorm. Let's just say, he thought it was in everyone's best interest that she _not _be in charge of keeping track of these things.

She'd had shirts _and_ pants folded on the same shelf inside it.

Besides, when he thought about it, he really had it the easiest.

Eve, Alice, Rosalie, and Emmett gave up _hours_ of sleep every day to go searching through the city, and one of these days they were going to stumble on the people who took Bella. That was dangerous. Edward, Jasper, and Raven had to go around and speak with every professor, getting into their heads, messing with their emotions, and reading them at their core every time. Things no one should ever have to hear, feel, or see. _Especially_ when it came to the darker Professors. All he had to do was sit back and read all day with Esme.

It was a cakewalk compared to the others, even with keeping track of all these things. He wanted to help though, do more than he was, but he didn't know how. Everything else was taken care of. All he could do was prepare himself and help prepare the others for when they found Bella because he had the feeling, deep in his gut, that she would yet again turn their lives upside down. There was going to be a lot to take it.

And so, he lit a candle.

**xxxxxxxx**

**EVE**

_"From the West I summon Water and ask that you wash this circle in compassion, that the light of the full moon can be used to bestow healing to our group as well as understanding."_

The light of the full moon bounced off the shiny plaque Eve was kneeling in front off, her candle on the ground in front of her. She watched as grass grew up through the snow around it, and she smiled softly, looking back up to the stone plaque. Her chest clenched in pain, sorrow overcoming her as she stared at all the names on it.

Fledglings that had rejected the Change.

She wasn't sure exactly how she got there, nor why she had brought her candle. Perhaps because it was the Full Moon Circle that night, but she just couldn't keep going down the sidewalk to the Rec Hall. Her knees had given out at the plaque and she had been staring at it since, feeling tears trickle down her cheeks.

There were just so many names…

Her eyes burned as she read the flowing scripture; _Isabella Swan._

That name didn't belong there.

How many others didn't either?

Eve's heart gave a painful thump against her chest, feeling like it was going to explode. How many families had been shattered, destroyed because of the rejection, or because of Sulpicia? How many tears had been shed? How many funerals attended? How many grave stones carved? How many more would be?

She noticed other students stopping by the plaque now and then, the concern on their faces. _They_ noticed how rate of rejection was mysteriously doubling in the years that passed. The death of friends was hard to ignore.

It was a wound they all felt, one that throbbed every time you walked past that plaque.

This had to be stopped, someone had to end it. The other fledglings were scared and needed to be saved, the ones already gone had to be rescued. Something _had_ to be done before this plaque was full.

So Eve made a promise and lit her candle.

**xxxxxxxx**

**BELLA**

_"From the South I summon Fire and ask that you light in this circle the gift of strength of will, so that our ritual will be binding and powerful."_

The unlit wick of the small white candle smirked up at me from the railing.

A deep, burning darkness grew in my stomach and I glared fiercely at the wax thing.

It still wouldn't light.

"Please," I whispered, leaning down to look at it eye level. It wasn't exactly the candle I was talking to, but it gave me something to look at, to focus on so I didn't just start raving. Again. It had scared Milo last time. "Please, just a flicker. A spark, maybe?"

The breeze I knew should have been chilly was the only thing that responded and I squeezed my eyes shut. I didn't need a flame. No. Not that much. I could live with just the energy of my element, that warmth I knew came with it. All I had to do was concentrate and it'd be there, just like before.

….

My body remained cold, but _I_ was freezing.

The candle mushed and fell apart in my tight grip as I ripped it from the railing, turning around the whipping it across my room. "Please! Please, please, please! I need you, I need my affinity, please just give me my fire! I've never asked you for _anything_ and I just need this one thing!" I screamed, blurring over to the closest tall backed chair, picking it up and hurling it across the room with the candle. "Why won't you help me?!"

A mixture of a scream and a snarl tore from my throat and I grabbed my hair, kneeling on the floor. "Please," I sobbed, resting my forehead against the wooden floor. "I need help…"

I had asked a girl named Sarah to get me a candle before I came back to my room, knowing they probably didn't have any circle candles, or even red ones laying around, but I figured any candle would do. It had been a while since I had summoned my element properly and I… I had hoped it would work with the candle.

I had hoped for a sign…for that warmth…for any kind of help.

Before coming up here, I was down on the main level with Aro. There had been a couple of human teenagers who had wandered in here, thinking it was abandoned and looking for a place to drink. Aro had a "brilliant idea"…

Those boys would never see their families again because of me.

_Me_.

What I'd done to them.

What had I _done_?!

And without so much as blinking.

When Aro dismissed me, I asked for that candle. I don't know why exactly, but I… I needed to make sure I still had my affinity. Still had my connection to the Vampyres, to the House, to Nyx.

"I don't," I cried into the floor, slamming my fists down against the wood. It cracked and caved in around my knuckles. "I've lost it." The room shook when I pounded my fists against the floor again, the shadows cast around the room shaking, trembling. Or was that me?

I wasn't worthy of such a gift anymore.

Unworthy of being saved…

"I've lost her."

I had been balancing on the edge of a sword and hadn't even realized I'd fallen already.

My lips curled back in an animalistic snarl, feeling that burning darkness bubble up into my chest. I clutched at my shirt, squeezing the material in my fists as I screamed at the ceiling, my eyes filling with tears that would never fall.

"I've lost myself."

Guilt kneeled before me, wrapping its clammy hands around my throat and squeezed, the stony fist of helplessness ramming into my gut over and over again.

Unworthy of being saved because there was nothing left to save? Was there still a person beneath this marble shell? Humanity past the beast?

The teenagers' lifeless eyes flashed in my mind and the rage quelled into sorrow, my head hanging in shame. I took a shaky breath, wrapping my arms around my knees, hugging them to my chest.

"I'm so sorry…"

**XXxxXXxxXXxxXX**

**So that's a long update, eh?**

**I figured I owed you guys for taking so long to work on this story again. Hopefully you guys enjoyed it.**

**I could use an opinion, though, on…flashbacks, let's say. Would you all be opposed to a chapter of flashbacks on Esme's life between her and Sulpicia and Carlisle? The one sided rivalry there? And those Ancient Ancestors? Would you guys like to hear more, see more of them in flashbacks or 'journal entries'? I've actually created the characters; names, personalities, events, etc that I've got ready to go if you do.**

**What do you guys think about the Pack here at the House now? Any thoughts on them? **

**Leave a reviews, if you'd be sooooo kind?**

**-Paige**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I also don't own the House of Night series or anything of theirs. Those belong to Stephanie Meyer, P.C and Kirsten Cast.**

**Rated: T.**

**Author: Paige Turner.**

**Summary: AU. "I didn't know how or why, but this pixie looking girl was different than everyone else. Even the people at **_**this**_** school, and that was saying something." A/B, Ed/J, R/Em, Es/C. **

**ALICE**

_"From the beginning?" she questioned. _

_A cute little smile curled at Alice's red lips, her golden eyes bright with adoration. She gave a little nod with a half scoff, staring down into a pair of red eyes twinkling back up at her, more brilliant than the shiniest of rubies. "Yes, from the beginning. Why is that so hard to believe?"_

_The brunette shrugged her pale shoulders the best that she could, her eyes travelling off to stare at the ceiling. Dozens of images filled her mind, crystal clear with the clarity that came from being what she was. Her first few weeks at Esme's House of Night. She clucked her tongue, ruby gaze sliding back to Alice's face. "You didn't show much interest. If fact, our first conversation involved you trying to emotionally scar me from the Dark Daughters." Bella watched the little chuckle shake Alice's bare shoulders and rolled her eyes. "Besides, I was quite plain back then."_

_"Plain?" The pixie repeated in disbelief. "Bella, the Tracker had to actually __**carry**__ you back to the House, because of your Marking process. The High Priestess then waited at your bedside until you woke up. And then we find out you're the missing Element in the Circle, creating the first completed Circle in centuries."_

_Bella frowned. "Well yeah, but-"_

_"On top of having __**red**__ eyes," Alice continued, completely ignoring Bella's protests as she began ticking things off her fingers. "Scaling through the training levels with your Element, being gifted with the Ancient's Marking. All the while being the most genuine and kind person I'd ever been introduced to, befriending someone like Rosalie while having someone like Jasper warm up to you."_

_A crisp white pillow was swung around, knocking Alice back against the mattress. "Okay, I get it. I wasn't plain. How was I supposed to know you were into me, you __**didn't**__ show any interest."_

_"Well, I mean come on," Golden eyes twinkled with mischief. "I'm Alice. I had to act cool, my image was at stake. I couldn't just gush like a fangirl and proclaim my undying love to you. What would people have said?"_

_The brunette huffed. "Right. Yes. Because that would have made things __**too**__ easy." Her red eyes narrowed at the little minx laying next to her, Alice's tantalizing heat constantly drawing the cold vampire in. "Sometimes you're a butt."_

_"Wha-" Alice gasped, snorting halfway through with a quirk of her lips. "Excusez-moi?_ _Did __**you**__ just call __**me**__ a butt?" She gave a mock glare when Bella grinned, revealing her large fangs. "Madam, you've just insulted my integrity and honour, I challenge you to a duel."_

_Moments after she finished saying it, Bella whirled around and tackled the smaller girl to the mattress, pinning her wrists and straddling her wait. Alice's heart raced, her eyes struggling to catch the blurred movements, never failing to be astonished by her speed or strength. "That doesn't even make any sense!" Bella laughed. _

_"Cheater," the vampyre breathed, halfheartedly struggling against the restraint. She watched Bella's eyes darken shade by shade until they were a glowing red that could have been mistaken for pink, felt the vampire's cool breath fan out against her lips. A low rumble erupted from Bella's chest, vibrating against Alice, her purr filling the room. Alice smiled, her chest tight with unbridled happiness. Their noses brushed against one another and, putting more strength into it this time, Alice flipped them._

_She grinned from ear to ear as Bella's laughter filled the room, her long dark hair spilling out on the pillows in a stark contrast. "It's not cheating if __**you're**__ winning."_

_Alice rolled her eyes, sitting back on the brunette's toned stomach, lacing their fingers together. "Technicalities," she muttered with a roll of her eyes. Her face turned more serious, holding a sadness that Bella hadn't seen in months. "Bella, I'm sorry about that day. If I had just been paying attention to you-"_

_"Hey now," Bella interrupted with furrowed brows. "We agreed to not talk about that anymore. We were both being…butts. It's done now."_

_There was a moment of silence as the two gazed at each other until Alice's smile returned and she nodded. Bella's hands in hers, she raised them up to her face, kissing her knuckles with a hum of happiness. "I love how intense your temperature makes…__**things **__now, but I'm glad our first kiss was while you were still a vampyre." Alice said thoughtfully. _

_"And why is that?" The brunette asked curiously, wrapping her legs around Alice's waist while sitting up. She pushed the vampyre backwards into the mattress again until they were in their original positions at the foot of the bed this time._

_Alice glanced to her hands pinned at either side of her head before zeroing in on those pale, uneven lips. "It was like kissing fire. I've never forgotten that feeling." At the fall of Bella's face, she quickly backtracked, "But I still really, really love how cool you are now." She frowned when Bella rested her cooler forehead against the pixie's, her thick hair falling like a curtain around them. "Do you miss your heat?" She whispered out quietly._

_"Yes," Bella murmured, lifting her head again until rubies met molten gold. "I hate this coldness. Emmett's already used to it now, but I…I can't stand it. I just feel so cold it __**hurts**__, like I'm full of frost or drowning in a frozen lake." She paused, feeling the chilly ache of her body and grimaced. "Carlisle thinks it's because of how I was before, with my heat."_

_The vampyre blinked away the sting of tears. "I'm so sorry, Bella."_

_"Alice," Bella sighed out, the grimace slowly fading into a small smile that tugged at her lips. "Alice, stop apologizing. None of this is your fault, and it's okay. I have you. You chase away the cold bite, __**you**__ are my heat now." She ghosted her lips along Alice's jaw until she felt the smaller girl start to smile, moving back to her ear. "And I'm feeling awfully cold right now, Miss Alice."_

_When the vampire nipped at her ear, Alice full out laughed, bucking her hips until they flopped over and she was on top again. She stared down at her Consort with heavy lidded eyes, a heated smirk playing at her lips. "Well I can't promise it'll be like kissing fire, but I __**can**__ promise it will be very hot."_

**.**

**.**

**.**

"-hot."

Rosalie looked up and over at the little vampyre sitting across the aisle from her on the bus. Her moss green eyes took in the pink tint of Alice's cheeks, her dilated pupils and uneven breathing, and the ever growing smile blooming on her face. The blonde looked around them, up to Emmett who was bobbing his head to the music he was listening to, and finally back to Alice who was full out smiling. The first smile anyone had seen in two weeks. "Alice?"

Seemingly lost in the traces of her happy vision, Alice stared in front of her at the back of Eve's head, bringing her fingers up to her lips with a deeper blush. Next to her, Jacob looked over at Rosalie with a raised eyebrow. He followed her line of sight to Alice, gently nudging her with his elbow until she looked over.

Immediately her golden eyes flickered up to the hulking frame of the friendly giant, some of her sadness returning. "Oh Emmett…" she sighed quietly.

The blonde unconsciously grabbed her boyfriend's hand, glaring at Alice and her knowing look. "Alice," she growled this time.

"Sorry." Alice looked down at her lap.

Feeling the air begin to get tense around them, Jake shifted in his seat. "So how much of the city do we have left to search?"

Eve turned around in the seat in front of them, pulling a large map out of her backpack. She ignored Rosalie rolling her eyes and instead handed it to Emmett to open up, who did so happily. "All the red X's are blocks we've checked and found nothing at…which isn't a lot, but we expect to start moving faster with you now. All the yellow circles are areas we've already ruled out."

"Why have you ruled them out?" The wolf asked, scratching his neck.

The smallest vampyre hummed, jerking her thumb towards the window. "Placement of the sun in my visions. It's also not much, but that with the areas we've check, narrows our search down to half of the city now."

"Right," he nodded roughly. "Your, uh, visions. Can't you just look for an address or something?"

Alice scowled, crossing her arms over her chest. "It doesn't work like that. I can't control what I see, I'm just there, witnessing what's most important in that moment. Sometimes it's just images, like a sped up slide show."

"Carlisle's working with her though!" Eve chirped up, seeing the frustration on her friend's face. "She's getting much better, he think's she'll be able to move in the visions soon."

Running a hand through his recently cut hair, Jacob blinked his tired brown eyes. His body was still catching up with the reversed schedule of the House, on top of having to wake up so early (late?) to go searching the city. To say he was exhausted would be an understatement, but he kept it to himself. By the dark circles under the others' eyes, he assumed they'd been doing this for quite some time now.

It made him smile, knowing that Bella had adjusted so well to this new and frightening world. He understood that kind of drastic change. To be ripped from the world and people you loved, to have something reach into your very depths and forever change you. Turn you into this…new thing you didn't really understand. Something that people hated, for…for stupid reasons. The adversity she'd have to face from then on, the sneering and hurtful jabs, being outcasted and alienated, just for existing.

He was glad she found people who cared about her so much, who would help her through it all. Who would search for her, rescue her, when everyone else thought she was dead. A bunch of kids, at that, this ragtag group of class, muscle, power, friendship, and love. She had found her own pack, and Jake would never be able to thank these guys enough for that, because leaving her, leaving his best friend, his sister, had been eating at his soul for years.

"This is our stop, bud." The giant across from him said, getting to his feet. The wolf stood, not quite as thick or muscular as Emmett, but a few inches taller. He followed everyone off the bus, stretching in the sunlight, letting the warmth seep into his bones with a lopsided grin. He really missed the sun.

Looking around, it was clear that these vampyres didn't share the sentiment. He watched them all slip on sunglasses or shades, Eve pulling her hood up while Emmett slipped on a cap. The small grimace on Rosalie's face while she rubbed her temple made him wonder if the stories were true. "Does this hurt?"

The blonde peered over her aviators at him, a scowl on her face. "No, it feels like butterfly kisses. What do you think, genius?"

"Rose," Alice huffed. She crossed her arms over her chest, looking up at the tall boy next to her. "It only really hurts full grown Vampyres. For fledglings like us it's…more like irritation. It feels like we've got a really nasty sunburn wherever the sun touches our skin, and it's worse the older you are. For Rosalie and Emmett, it's starting to get painful. For Eve and I, it's just really uncomfortable, and kind of burning. The light stings _everyone's_ eyes though, and makes it hard to see, and it gives us a pretty bad headache."

He hummed, stuffing his hands into his pockets, suddenly feeling guilty amongst them. "That must suck."

"Quite a bit, yes." Eve said with a happy chirp. "So, we could take the west end first, or the east. Which do you guys wanna do?"

"Both." Jake said, stepping forward. "You guys take the east, Alice and I will go west."

The warrior in training shook his head with a frown. "No, we decided that we all go together. It's too dangerous to be separated."

"Dude," Jacob scoffed, holding up his large arms. "I turn into a giant wolf. We'll be fine. Besides, I'll smell them before they can get the drop on us, and I have to talk to Alice."

Chewing on her lip, Alice nervously stepped closer to Eve. Jacob, so far, had been super friendly and nice to everyone. But she hadn't forgotten what Edward said about him wanting to talk with her, and she knew it was something to do about Bella. Did he blame her for what happened, too? She looked over to Emmett who considered what he said before finally relenting, giving him a nod. "Fine. But call us in an hour."

"You got it," the wolf agreed, and soon the group was splitting up and Alice watched the others disappear around the corner. She followed Jacob silently for a little while, busying herself with studying the buildings and houses around them. Trying not to concentrate on the boy beside her who, she truly believed, could snap her in two with his muscled arms. How strong were wolves? Stronger than vampyres? It seemed…weird, considering another supernatural race out there besides them. Someone stronger or faster. Impossible. "So." He said, breaking the silence.

Alice took a deep breath. "Yes?"

He worked his jaw a couple times, dark brown eyes looking Alice over curiously. He clucked his tongue and shrugged his massive shoulders. "You're Bella's girlfriend?"

Oh. Well that wasn't what she was expecting, not at all. The pixie furrowed her brows, slowly shaking her head. "No, not…no. She liked me, I think, and I love…but we never actually…no. There were complications and confusion before all of this happened and I ruined it."

"Ah," Jake hummed again. "Yeah, I could see that. Bella's a complicated girl, nothing's ever simple for her, she kind of attracts drama. A lot." He chuckled wistfully. "She was actually in love with my girlfriend before I was."

Golden eyes widened comically as the little vampyre spluttered. "What? She was - what?"

Jacob laughed, the sound rumbling in his large chest. "Yeah. She had it pretty bad for Leah-" Alice's face darkened. She _knew_ she'd been jealous for a reason! "-when she first joined our group. I didn't really care one way or another at that point. I think I was still too upset about my mom passing away. But Bella wouldn't stop talking about her, gushing about this and that, I had to start throwing things at her when she stared. And then I noticed she was right. Leah's hair _was_ silky. Her voice had this perfect scratchy quality to it, gave ya goosebumps." He sighed, his shoulders slumping with the longing to see his girlfriend again. "She was really cool too, like Bella but hot."

"Bella's hot," Alice found herself saying, defending, before she even thought about it. Her cheeks flushed.

With a nod, Jake grinned down at her. "Yeah, but she's my bro. Her attractiveness kinda just bounces off of me, while Leah's pulled me in."

"So," Alice hesitated. A bitter taste filled her mouth but she forced herself to say the words anyways. "Bella loved her? Did anything ever happen between them?"

He shook her head. "Nah, Leah wasn't into girls. She had a thing for me, and when she told me, I jumped at the chance to be with her. I didn't even think of what it would do to Bella, I was just so happy she liked me. Bella stopped coming around for a while, and I thought that was it. Wouldn't take my calls or answer the door when I came over, she wouldn't even talk to Leah. But two weeks later, I found her on my doorstep, drenched in rain and apologizing. Saying that she just needed time to get used to it, but she missed us."

"That was pretty big of her." Alice said. She felt bad for being relieved that nothing happened between the two, but the thought of Bella with someone else made her feel like she had a belly full of acid.

Jake nodded, looking off down the street. "Yeah, Bella was a good person."

"She _is_ a good person," the vampyre huffed.

Uncertain brown eyes glanced down at her, Jake's gut churning and twisting. "Yes, of course."

**.**

**.**

**.**

**JASPER**

Blonde wavy locks fell in the boy's eyes, his scarred hand running up through his hair to bring them back out of his face. He continued to stare down at the floor while the other two chatted around him, talking about their list of Professors, and trying to decide if Mr. Monroe should be added to the _Possible Psycho_ side of the list. The man was dark, that much was already established just from their Fencing class. He was spooky and grumpy and looked like a classic vampire from Dracula or something. Seriously, he had some kind of cape robe thing. It was weird, and Raven said that he wasn't a good man.

On the other hand, Edward said he didn't pick up anything overly psychotic or bad. Sure, he didn't pay his taxes, he used to cheat on his wife before he left her, and he abandoned three or four kids. But he never killed anyone, he couldn't stand Sulpicia, and he really did seem to care about his employment at the House. There wasn't much in his life other than his job, and most adult vamps were lucky to get a spot in a House. It was hard being a lone Vampyre out in society.

"We should make a _maybe_ list then, Edward!" Raven growled, stomping her foot. "This man is _bad_. Maybe he isn't helping crate dead students off the grounds, but he wouldn't tell Esme if he knew someone else was."

Edward pinched the bridge of his nose. "You can't condemn the man on speculation. He's done nothing."

"Exactly," Raven agreed with burning purple eyes. "If he's seen something, then he's doing _nothing_. He's letting us die. That's just as bad as killing us."

"No, it's not the same, Raven." The bronze haired boy began pacing again. "This could ruin his life, and he may be innocent. Can you live with that? Destroying someone who hasn't done anything against us?"

She stuck her chin in the air, crossing her arms over her chest. "There's nothing innocent about that man. If I didn't have morals, I might just do something about it myself. He deserves this."

"We're not the judge, it's not for us to decide whom to punish!"

"No one else knows about him, Edward. He's going to get away with everything he's done and everything he might have done, if we don't put him on this list," Raven fumed. "Even Jasper thinks so, he said he lusts over his students. If he snaps one day and a fellow student suffers because of it, how are _you_ going to live with that, knowing we could have prevented it?"

His jaw clenched painfully. "And if he never touches anyone, we've doomed a man who hasn't _done_ anything wrong."

"Yet!"

"How can you punish someone for their thoughts, Raven? Do you not ever find yourself thinking something guilt worthy?"

She considered this. "Guilt worthy? Sure. Inherently bad? No, I never _actually_ toy with the idea, like he does."

"Can you tell me for certain that he will snap and act on his thoughts?" Edward challenged, trying to read his moral compass that wouldn't stop spinning. He couldn't destroy someone's life, he just couldn't! Why was she asking him to? This was wrong, all of this, they shouldn't be the judge and jury, it wasn't up to them. They were just kids, how were they supposed to pass judgement on another being?

Raven's face softened, losing her argumentative fire. She helplessly shook her head, frustrated tears in her eyes. "Edward, can you tell me for certain that he _won't_?"

The two stared at each other for what felt like centuries. Jasper desperately tried to block out their emotions, lest Edward's guilt start eating at him too, or Raven's confliction make him dizzier than she already was. He knelt down on the floor, running his fingers over the grooves in the marble of the Training Hall. He'd been staring at this…indentation for fifteen minutes, trying to figure out what it was. It didn't go with any of the other designs or writing in the marble. It was…random, just there, in the middle of the Hall. He looked up towards the ceiling, gazing at the stars through the skylight.

Edward's voice, dejected and soft, broke the silence. "Put him on the list."

"Guys," Jasper called out when he finally figured out just what these grooves were. He made a fist, lining his knuckles up with the four indentations, looking back up at the skylight. "Edward, you remember that one night we were supposed to go training with Bella?"

He nodded, staring up at the skylight and then back down at his boyfriend. "We got distracted and by the time we showed up, she was gone."

"But all her stuff was still there, so we grabbed it for her." Jasper said, straightening back up. "Mickey said he saw her running like a madwoman and we all assumed it was because she was late for a Circle meeting."

Edward shrugged his shoulders. "Well yeah, she was hanging out with Rosalie after that."

"We haven't had a Circle meeting in a long time now," Raven piped in.

Jasper nodded down at the fist mark in the marble floor. "I think someone was chasing her."

"What?" Edward gasped, crouching down to look. He reeled back, looking up at the two with wide green eyes. "Who could do that to the floor? And -And from the skylight? No. No, that's not possible. You can't survive a drop like that."

"We still don't know why Sulpicia is killing us." Raven said. It felt like she had a lead ball in her stomach as she looked up at the skylight. "And what she's doing with them."

**.**

**.**

**.**

**BELLA**

I hated Jane.

Hated her, her face, her hair, her tiny little body, her guts. Everything about her. I hated it all. The smug little cretin knew this too and made it her life's mission to torment me any moment she could, which was often. Apparently Aro was a very busy man and not at the mansion nearly as much as I thought, so Jane had free rein to do pretty much anything she could think of. Everyone treated her like a princess, and the other two _specials_ didn't seem to mind. Granted, Alec was her brother so he supported her, and he was just as sick and twisted as she, just not as obvious about it.

Renata wasn't really like that. She wasn't a ray of sunshine or anything, I'd actually seen her take the head of another vampire clean off his shoulders during their sparing. The girl didn't seem to get any pleasure from it though, and I guess that made her better than the twins. Renata was just this…broken thing. Different from the other vampires, not falling into the category of demented beast for Aro to unleash, or empty vessel he could command, she was just broken. Black eyes haunted, scarred, but not hollow or void of anything, she was an unwilling weapon that Aro still kept an eye on now and then. Made sure his blood was pumping through her system, just in case, because her defiance and hate still flared out whenever she looked at him.

Though I knew the chances were slim, I hoped I was still doing better than her. I could feel myself slipping every day, every hour I was there. Each horrendous act Aro had me perform was becoming easier to do. Not _easier_ easier, but it wasn't a shock to my system anymore. My guilt was gone, perhaps because of Milo's words, maybe he was right and a weapon had no reason to feel guilt. These were Aro's decisions, his hand pulling the trigger. Or perhaps it was that my conscience had just died, finally catching up with my body.

Either way, it…helped. Aro wasn't keeping such a close eye on me anymore, and I could wander the mansion all I wanted. I'd even been granted permission to watch over the "pawns" while they went out hunting in the city, to keep them in check. Of course there were boundaries I couldn't pass, certain streets he had forbidden me from stepping foot into, creating a box around the mansion, and had ordered the pawns to kill me should I disobey.

That's where I currently found myself, leaning against an old gas station in its shadow. The sun had just gown down, leaving more of a dusky sky, and the humans had all scurried off into their homes, winding down for bed.

"Wish we didn't have to kill them before we fed," Albert grumbled from beside me, his arms crossed over his chest with a silent snarl on his face. His blonde hair stuck up in random places and, along with his stained and scruffy clothing, he looked like a beautiful homeless boy. His black eyes stared expectantly up at me while we waited for Stephan to finish his…meal in the alley.

My hands clenched and unclenched in the pockets of my jeans. Since I had woken up, all my needs had been taken care of almost immediately. Aro's _specials_ wanted for nothing, it seemed, and that included wardrobes. It had been a while since I hadn't been in my uniform, all dolled up with my ties and blazers and suspenders. I felt weird in just a pair of jeans, hoodie, and sneakers. I felt… plain.

I met Albert's onyx gaze, my face hard. "Would you rather they scream and alert the human police?"

"We could take them!"

Sighing, I rolled my eyes, kicking off the wall. "Then you're stupider than you look. Which is _really_ stupid already."

He snarled, jerking forwards towards me. "Fuck you!" My hand shot out, grabbing the front of his shirt and yanking him into my face, his snarl and threat dying out quickly. "Hey, wait! I'm sorry. I was just playing, seriously. Let go."

"Pathetic," I scoffed, shoving him backwards, watching him stumble to the cement ground. "What's that smell?"

Albert lifted his nose to the air while Stephan stepped around the corner, wiping the blood from his face. "I smell vampyre," he growled out, shadow framed black eyes looking around hungrily. The tall skinny vampire blurred over to us, helping Albert to his feet while I crept to the corner of the building, peeking around it.

Honestly, I expected something. My heart skipping, though I knew it was dead and unmoving now. My breath catching in my throat, even if I didn't need it. My stomach flipping, filled only with Aro's poisonous blood. There was nothing, much to my growing disappointment, not a flicker of anything, and it just further proved how dead I really was. Sure, I was walking around, but you weren't truly living if you never felt anything.

My red eyes zeroed in on the three walking down the sidewalk two blocks away. The familiar faces of Eve, Rosalie, and Emmett, old friends from my old life. It felt like it had been years, centuries, or that it was all a dream. There were dark circles under all their eyes, like they hadn't been sleeping, and I wondered what they were doing out here so early in the day. Why they weren't back at the House, sleeping.

A small voice in the back of my head suggested that they were out here, looking for me, coming to save me from Aro and the others, but I quickly silenced it. They thought I was dead, rejecting the Change. They'd seen it happen. And even if they somehow figured out that I was still alive -sort of- and really were out here to look for me, it was pointless. I couldn't go back with them. I was trapped in the box Aro had created. And I was…I was a monster now. A nightmare bound in flesh and venom, as cold and lifeless as the gargoyle statues by the front gates of the House.

"Well, well, well, look at this." Albert brushed against my side side, rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck. "This should be fun."

Rumbling erupted from my chest as I glared at him. "Leave them."

"Hell no!" he huffed. "Do you know how delicious fledgling blood is? Not quite human, not quite vampyre. Sarah is _always_ bragging about changing them." Vampires biting vampyres, like Milo had done to me, injecting their venom to change them into us. "It's my turn."

I reached out, grabbing his shoulder and shoved him back into the wall. "If fledglings go missing, the High Priestess will investigate. There's a reason for Sulpicia's process, stupid."

"Stop calling me stupid!" Albert growled. "We can blame it on the humans, they already hate vampyres. I just want one, the little one with white hair."

His words sparked something in me, the hungry and malicious look in his black eyes making it grow and burn. My lip curled back in a snarl, my eyes stinging as the whites faded to black, shadows spreading out to frame them. In a blur of movement, my fist shot out and Albert gasped, shrieking as his chest caved in, insides bursting into flame. He yanked and scratched at my arm while the flames filled him up, spilling out onto the ground by our feet, and I sneered in his face, watching it twist in agony and fear.

Stephan's pale hand hesitated before patting my shoulder. "They're coming," he whispered.

Finally I pulled my hand back, stepping away and let Albert collapse to the ground.

Well.

Guess I found my Flame.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**EVE**

The little vampyre's head whipped up in surprise at the shriek of pain that filled the street. She looked over to the others who froze, alarmed at the sudden noise shattering their silence. "What if it's Alice and Jacob?" She questioned.

"Go!" Rosalie hissed, taking off down the sidewalk with her warrior and Eve at her heels. Her mind was racing, thoughts filled with the possibility of Alice being gone. _Dead_, she thought in a strangled voice. She pushed herself faster, shaking the thought from her head. Alice wasn't dead. She was fine. She was all the way on the other end of the city, perfectly safe, waiting to meet up and call Rosalie a selfish, shallow bitch. She was fine. Alive. The blonde wasn't losing anyone else.

When they finally slowed down to a stop, breathing deeply while Eve doubled over to catch her breath, Rosalie frowned.

Taking a deep breath, Eve straitened back up, looking around them. "This…this is where it came from," she panted out, her face flush. "I'm certain of it."

"Look!" Emmett gasped, jogging over to an old gas station building. He nodded to the little alley beside it and the others stopped by his side, uneasy looks on their faces. "What happened? Do you think…was this a person before?"

Rosalie crouched down next to the burning embers, pulling a pen out of her purse. She hooked it in something, lifting up what was clearly a belt with a silver buckle. "Yeah." At some point, it had been human. Or vampyre maybe? Now it was just a pile of burning clothes, scorched bones, and _a lot_ of ash. Like someone had been burned in an inferno, even the cement and brick wall were scorched.

Beside the giant, Eve shifted foot to foot. "Rosalie did you…did you feel something when they shrieked?"

"Yeah," she snorted, standing up. "Felt my heart in my throat."

Grey eyes studied the scorch marks, Eve's chest fluttering. "Besides that. Something deeper." Her pocket buzzed and she tore her gaze away from the scene in front of them, pulling her phone out of her pocket. Two text messages from Cole and Raven.

_What just happened?_

She looked up at the blonde who was slowly nodding, dropping her hands to turn around and around, scouring the area. Her heart hammered in her chest, squinting her eyes and straining them to see in the darkening light while Emmett asked what was going on.

A hopeful smile pulled at her lips. "We felt Bella."

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Update!**

**So wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. I feel **_**sooooo**_** bad that this hasn't been updated in forever. I've been so focussed on trying to finish Magick, and pressing out the kinks in the major plot twist of Instinct, I just haven't been able to concentrate on this one. I'm sorry! I've been busy! Work and other writing. I've got so much crap on my computer, all these new stories that I'm so excited about, they take up all my attention. **

**Anyways, I'm really really sorry. **

**Lots of you guys seem to be getting sucked into the dark, sad void that Bella is in, so I thought I'd toss out something a little happier. Alice's vision, a little reassurance that it won't always be so bleak for the girls. You get to see the struggle, the emotional toll it takes on Jazz, Ed, and Raven to be in someone else's head. Because they are just kids still, and having to deal with someone else's demons is messed the frack up. **

**Poor Bella, struggling to hang on to her humanity while trying to convince Aro that it's gone and to give her more freedom. It appears that death isn't just skin deep, but an infection seeping through her entire being. **

**Just hang in there, Bella! The others are closing in, they can feel you again! That's a good sign, right?**

**I didn't mean for this chapter to be so long (not that it's REALLY long) because it's hella hard to sit down and match with the next chapter. So don't always expect them to be this long.**

**Review, if you're still reading this. Been a while. Wouldn't blame you if you weren't. Again, sorry for the delay.**

**-Paige. **


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